White Inferno
by MYSTIC1
Summary: Prequeal to RW! Wildfire and Inferno were separate armors until a foolish power-hungry ninja desired both and threatened the fate of the world. Finished!
1. Default Chapter

Hello! This is my latest fic. I sent it to several mailing lists and I received several good reviews. I edited all of my mistakes in this. I love both YST and RW. I think of them as being the same thing, which is why I make the personalities and lives of the Ronin Warriors match the Samurai Troopers. In this fic, I am attempting to combine the info for both YST and RW. However, before I started writing this prequel fic, I had an idea for a different prequel that simply was stuck in my mind. The prologue is a summary of my original prequel fic. I will try to send in a new chapter every week, but I make no guarantees.  
  
  
  
500 years from the first generation of Ronin Warriors, 1000 years from the ultimate demise of Talpa, nine armors were forged from evil into sources of purity of the human spirit. A mere orphan beggar and theif, Kaosu who later became known as the Ancient One was dragged on a quest to find one mystical armor by Talpa, a boy only slightly younger than him. At the time, Kaosu was ignorant of the dangers of the netherworld and refused to acknowledge the existence of mystical armors. Then Talpa opened a portal, allowing nether spirits to enter, and summoned the armor. Kaosu fled since he lacked any defense against the creatures, but Badamon attacked him with a spell powerful enough to rip apart his soul. Rekka, a monk of virtue, and a few other people arrived unexpectedly. Talpa knew he would lose against them so he and his nether spirits retreated. Because of Badamon's attack, Kaosu's hair turned prematurely white and he constantly hovered on the verge of evil.  
  
A year passed since the incident. Kaosu became a monk in a special clan and learned to use the staff in order to control his imbedded vile instincts. News of Talpa's actions in the netherworld was commonplace and the recently crowned emperor decided to attack and claim the mortal world. Believing Kaosu to be unprepared, Rekka and a few other monks locked him up to prevent him from fighting. He escaped, however, and followed them to the battlefield. He arrived after the battle ended. Rekka was the only warrior monk alive, but also badly injured. The warrior monk used the Jewel of Life and transformed into what it called 'The Guardian of Virtue.' Rekka was reborn as the tiger White Blaze and all of Kaosu's mentors were gone.  
  
The Jewel of Life, by itself, had no power, but merely channeled and depended upon the innocence and purity of its user. If placed with the right person, it would be the strongest relic in existence. Pure hearts were difficult to find and Kaosu gave the Jewel to a girl named Hiruko. Although Hiruko was the most free-minded person he encountered, she was not able to channel the energy properly. After a few more battles, Kaosu, Hiruko, and White Blaze defeated Talpa in a bloody fight and sealed him in the netherworld.  
  
The seal was only temporary and Talpa's armor was a gateway between the worlds so in order to break apart the gateway, Kaosu split it into nine armors and made all of the new armors to embody a trait of virtue. The armor of Wildfire contained all of the virtuous traits. When Talpa would attack again, nine Ronin Warriors would defeat him. Centuries passed. The entire clan grew up with the knowledge of Talpa and the nine mystical armors, but the history of the one armor before Talpa was lost. Kaosu ventured off in other areas of Japan to correct the monks of other temples if they strayed away from their doctrine. During one of his visits, Talpa opened a small portal and his soldiers slaughtered the monk clan. Kaosu sensed the emperor's presence and hurried to protect his people, but only an insignificant amount survived and moved onto other parts of Japan.  
  
Years after the attack a threat more powerful than Talpa approached Japan. Kaosu, now known as the Ancient One, sensed the presence of the new power yet he was unable to pinpoint the exact location nor was he able to determine exactly what the new threat was. Because of Badamon's curse, he was unable to destroy any evil in existence so he searched for people to wear the Ronin armors. 


	2. Chapter1

Some of the words that are in Shiro's accent might be difficult to understand so I'll translate the harder words. Ancouth = uncouth. That's the only word I can think of that you might have a problem understanding. If you have any more problems, tell me and I'll post it on the next chapter.  
  
Sweat dripped down from his body. He pulled a farmer's heavy cart for over two days with little rest. He accepted the task because the person seemed to be wealthy, but his temporary employer was also a huge buttload of annoyance who complained about his cooking and how he handled simple morning rituals and his attitude! Although he lacked religion, he, unlike the farmer, was civil! The prices in his mind tripled each day under the harsh labor. Finally, they reached the farmer's destination and he set down the cart. Hopefully, his job was over. "What else d'ya need?" Dateki Shiro tried not to groan or grumble as he spoke.  
  
"Well, I heard that rouge ninja is around here," his temporary boss began in a business tone.  
  
Knowing the thick-witted man never joked, Shiro said between clinched teeth, "I - dun't- fight- ninjas. Now, gimme my money."  
  
"Ungrateful common ronin," the man muttered, reaching into his purse.  
  
The pay was inadequate for his suffering, but being away from the irate farmer rewarded him perfectly. He arrived at the town's tavern and bought himself a bowlful of noodles and a bottle of sake. Then, he focused on other matters. If the rouge ninja was in the area, he needed to leave soon. Ninjas were by far more dangerous than samurai were and a rouge ninja was worse, but a job was needed for money and money was needed for food. His various ronin skills could be used where he was... Shiro shrugged off that worry. Being low on supplies was just another challenge and he survived troubles that were more difficult.  
  
"Hey, whore!" he shouted out. When one of the women arrived, he put a handful of coins in her hand, "I'll give ya triple yer pay if you take a vacation from your job for a long time." She accepted and then, he asked a few men on a nearby table. "Is a rouge ninja in these parts?" he had not talked in so long and always said whatever happened to be in his mind.  
  
"The one and only infamous scoundrel!" a man exclaimed.  
  
The second man said, "He raided Sendai a few days ago. Used his tricks to steal food and then burned the place down!"  
  
"Shit! Is that all he's a'capable of?"  
  
"You dun't wanna challenge him," the first man warned.  
  
"Hmph. Any group o'bandits can steal and burn." However, ninjas hide unseen in the trees - a tactic that made them more threatening than bandits or samurai. Shiro definitely had to leave soon while being low in money for supplies.  
  
"Are you a ronin?" a third man asked.  
  
"Yeah. A ronin with no need for a job here."  
  
"Now, tell me, what's da difference between a reglar ronin and a ronin warrior. Sum crazy fool's tryin to revive that old legend again!"  
  
Shiro smiled. He enjoyed a few jests before leaving, "Ah, ronin warrior! Their duty is the same, but the warriors eat better meals than the reglar ronins! But that's not all!"  
  
"Oh?" Shiro got the attention of the audience.  
  
"Instead of searching desp'rately for a spot with less rocks, the warriors' armors turn into completely furn'shed beds with fluffy pillows an' blankets!" He received several guffaws from the crowd and he surveyed the room for anyone who was offended. Everyone enjoyed his commentary. "An' the warriors' armors are so ancouth that ninjas mistake'em for trees!"  
  
A trade ship from China prepared for its routine journey to Japan. The sailors hauled their boxed cargo on board and labeled the inventory according to price and ultimate destination.  
  
"Be careful with this, Ashura," Mizu advised as he and some sailors gently dragged a large box into the boat. Mizu was the ship's captain who controlled the amount of cargo.  
  
In a deep, resonant voice Karei Ashura inquired as he grabbed the rope used to pull the box into its area. "What makes that more special than the rest?" The inventory in the box was the first thing he was warned about, despite his numerous years of service.  
  
"Well, aside from it being bought from a very wealthy lord in Japan, the stuff in that box is cursed!"  
  
Curious, he asked, "How do you know it is cursed?" A few weeks ago, he received something that appeared to be of mystical value, but for what was it to be used? Was it connected with whatever was in the box?  
  
"Cause it slices and dices everywhere it goes!" Mizu yelled.  
  
His coworkers shouted at him to continue his job, so Ashura let the conversation drop. He wondered what exactly was so dangerous, but a combination of respect and fear prevented him from opening the box. When all the cargo was finally loaded on the ship, everyone went to sleep. The next day, the sailors spent all the hours sailing and maintaining the ship in the water. The day after that, he had the opportunity to ask Mizu more about the cursed merchandise, but by that time he forgot about the box until they unloaded their inventory into a Japanese harbor.  
  
As usual, he handed the appropriate inventory to merchants and private buyers. Ashura realized that Lord Mitoma Hitomaro bought the mysterious piece cargo as he handed it over to a servant of the lord. "Excuse me if I am obtruding, but I am curious about the content of your lord's import. Rumor says that his import is cursed and I managed to learn that it originated elsewhere than China. I am mostly ignorant of this item and I am wondering if you have any information."  
  
The servant chuckled. "Well, you'll just have to keep wondering. You know more than I do. The only curse to Lord Mitoma is his moneybag."  
  
Only four armors needed bearers, Strata, Halo, Wildfire and Summer. Kaosu, also known as the Ancient One, contemplated who would receive the remaining armors. He narrowed down the choices to ten each for Halo, Summer and Strata. Wildfire had over forty choices.  
  
Suddenly, two creatures, not human or any normal earth mortal entered his supernatural and spiritual sense. A Youja! The other creature seemed similar to White Blaze... The nine armors prevented Talpa from returning, but other Youja could come and go with leisure. Carefully, he picked up his staff and looked at his tiger who was near the door. White Blaze was attentive, ears pricked for better hearing. Kaosu opened the door silently and they both stepped outside to meet the arrivals.  
  
A Youja and another tiger stood near the temple, but the two arrivals were not in battle stances. Their posture actually suggested that they came by merely for something like a friendly, beneficial visit.  
  
"I intend you no harm," the Youja said. "My name is Lord Saberstryke. I am an enemy of Talpa and I want to discuss with you a means to kill him."  
  
He relaxed his ridged hold on the staff and held it in front of himself like a walking stick. He sensed true intentions; the Youja could be trusted at least with that claim. "My name is Kaosu. Some people call me The Ancient One. We do not have much to discuss. The Ronin Warriors are the only ones who can defeat Talpa."  
  
"I heard of another armor whose power is unsurpassed. The armor of Inferno."  
  
"Interesting," Kaosu commented. "Please continue." If only one armor and one wearer was needed to battle and defeat Talpa, then the Ancient One could stop his search for people to be the Ronin Warriors and eight people would be spared the pain of fighting the Dynasty.  
  
"I am searching for the armor. It may just be a hoax so I came to ask you if the armor exists."  
  
"I never heard of the Inferno before now," he admitted, "but I am certain that there are relics in this world that I am unaware of. The armor of Inferno might exist, but it is not in Japan."  
  
While they conversed about mystical armors, the two tigers walked a short distance away to have their own conversation. White Blaze had alot of eager inquires to calm his astonished mind.  
  
"Greetings, Rekka," the new tiger said casually.  
  
Never before sensing any of his same race, he was startled to hear a person of the same condition speak and even more surprised when he spoke as though accustomed to such a conversation.  
  
"How many more of our kind are there? I thought I was the only one."  
  
"As many as is possible, Rekka."  
  
This time, he noticed the name. Dubious, he asked, "How do you know my human name?"  
  
With head held high, the new tiger strolled in front of him, "You used to be a samurai. Then, became a monk of virtue. You also fought against the White armor of Inferno."  
  
"How-" Who was this person? How did he know so much about his previous life? What was this person's reason for the transformation? "Who are you?"  
  
"I am a prophet. I can predict the arrival of the Inferno."  
  
The mere mention of the armor's awakening infuriated him. Long forgotten fears resurfaced. "What do you know about the White armor of Inferno?" he snapped, remembering the sensation of his own flesh peeling away from the intense heat and the tragic deaths of his friends...  
  
"I know that Tekaku used all of his energy to kill the bearer of Inferno and died as a result. I know that your attempt to seal up the armor permanently failed pathetically." Then, the new tiger listed names that he did not recognize, but he understood the importance. "Over the past 400 years, the White Inferno traveled up from the Tauragi tribe into a country known as Egypt. Then, the Romans took it and eventually sold it to the Ottoman Empire. The empire sold it to India. From India, it became a procession of China."  
  
"China!" That close to Japan! "Who owns it now?"  
  
"I answered two of your questions and I want you to answer two of mine."  
  
White Blaze suppressed a growl. The other tiger's smug, over-bearing attitude added to his barely controlled anger. "Very well."  
  
"Will you kill whoever wears the Inferno?"  
  
"Of course." That question was pointless. The Guardian of Virtue had to prevent anybody from acquiring the armor. He could not let anyone else suffer the same way that Tekaku and the others suffered.  
  
"No matter who he is or what he is?" The newcomer's haughty voice nearly pushed him over the edge of restraint.  
  
"Yes!" What was the point of this!?  
  
"Oh, I'd LOVE to see you kill-"  
  
White Blaze, thrust in a drunken rage, charged with fangs bared and claws extended. The other tiger jumped away, but not far enough and received a slight hurt. He leaped back again and, avoiding the rest of the attacks, taunted him. "The Ronin Warrior of Virtue will certainly die if you do not improve your skills."  
  
White Blaze's fury increased as his blows became more erratic.  
  
Suddenly something struck him and he fainted for a brief moment. When his rational mind and consciousness returned, he woke up five feet above the ground by a tangle of thick spider webs. He tentatively moved a paw to test the string's strength, but only entangled himself more in the web.  
  
His black counterpart, in the same predicament, stared frightfully at the ground below and struggled to look at who trapped them. "What was that?" the other tiger screamed. They heard Kaosu thank their trapper and Saberstryke agreed although sounding uncertain. "What's going on?" Arrogance abandoned him.  
  
"Well," White Blaze relaxed and replied, now understanding their entrapment, "This armor is definitely effective." They could not move their heads even slightly to see the bipedal people.  
  
"Armor? This is the result of a ronin armor?"  
  
"Perhaps we should just let them rest there until they calm down." Kaosu said and then unknowingly answered the question, "Lord Saberstryke, this is Jiguro the Ronin Warrior of Serenity."  
  
Jiguro, uncertain what conclusions to make and slightly worried about the presence of a youja, said in a strangely casual tone, "Yes, I was talking over here to talk to the Ancient. Then, I noticed that they were fighting when they probably shouldn't be."  
  
The youja replied, "I am afraid that Black Blaze provoked a quarrel. He has a tendency for aggression."  
  
The Guardian of Virtue asked, startled, "Your name is Black Blaze?" Names were usually symbolic...  
  
"You were not aware that you were born with a twin?" his smugness started to return.  
  
White Blaze was thoroughly bewildered. 500 years of inactivity caused him to forget how confusing life could be.  
  
"Hm, perhaps we should take them down now," Kaosu suggested.  
  
"Please!" Black Blaze begged. He was shortly unaware that he was supposed to be indifferent.  
  
"We need leashes though," he continued, oblivious to the tiger's pleading. "To prevent them from fighting again." Saberstryke agreed with his idea. "We could use the web. Is that okay with you?" he asked Jiguro.  
  
"Certainly."  
  
Examining the its strength, he said, "I originally intended for this to trap enemies and it has done a very good job."  
  
As the three bipeds worked together to slash down all the unnecessary webbing, Saberstryke said to Kaosu, "There should be no need for the Ronin Warriors since Talpa is not yet planning another invasion."  
  
"A few years ago, I sensed an approaching danger from the east. At first, I wondered if the danger was human like the Mongols, but it is different. It is definitely not human yet not like anything from the netherworld either. I am unable to fight this by myself so I need the Ronin Warriors to help me."  
  
The entire local nobility gathered at Lord Mitoma's fanciful celebration. The best musicians played their songs as the aristocracy danced, ate the costly delicacies, merrily discussed their daily lives, and admired the high-priced tapestries and paintings from countries such as China, Korea, India, and Russia. Mitoma Hitomaro conversed with the older, sonless lords, trying to receive an arranged marriage between their daughters and himself. "What our lands need is unity," he said almost automatically. Through an arranged marriage, he would obtain more land and everything that came with it.  
  
Only the host of the party knew the real reason for this event. Two hours into the festivities, their idle chatter and flowery comments became a bore. Such appraisal ceased to satisfy him. He obtained something unsurpassed for them to idolize.  
  
"Now, everyone!" Hitomaro shouted in a booming voice. When their complete attention was directed at him, he announced proudly yet more calmly, "Lords and Ladies, I am unduly grateful that you enjoyed the delightful music and wonderful food. Just recently, I imported a relic of mystical value from China. Now, we shall witness our true cause for celebration." He commanded his servants with a simple hand gesture and the veil covering the tall object on the podium lifted up to reveal its secret. "I present to you, the Armor of Inferno!"  
  
After an astonished silence, the audience applauded their approval, levitating his ego. Mystical armors were rare and his newest prized possession came from an unknown land beyond mere China. Its mysterious history magnified its supernatural quality. All of Japan would have understood how distinguished and extraordinary he was to own the Inferno.  
  
"So that's the infamous Armor of Inferno," an undesired person sneered, leaning against the doorway of a balcony above the festivities. With a sinister gaze, he surveyed the people from his position.  
  
The audience below him silenced, except for a few gasps and curses. They mentally braced themselves for an assault. What new horror did he bring with him? The archers aimed their weapons at him, but did not fire. Perhaps Lord Nezumi, his master, was using him as decoy to detract attention from the real assassin who would kill lord Mitoma.  
  
Hitomaro suppressed his previously apparent fear and feigned a calm composure, "Greetings, Hariel. What brings you here to my celebration?"  
  
"Shut up." Glaring at them with his eerie blue eyes, he received immediate obedience. "Stop worrying. I won't kill you. Life is so cheap that I quit my old job."  
  
The shock began to wear off so Hitomaro asked bluntly, "What is your business here?"  
  
"I came to see the armor." The lord wanted to demand why, but his throat swelled up with fright so he endured the ninja's taunts. "I never expected you to really get an armor. Are you sure it's mystical and not just painted? Chinese artisans are really good at fooling people. Perhaps it is simply a collection of jewels and pretty materials. If Inferno's really mystical, wear it."  
  
His face paled a few shades. The armor was cursed! Or so legend said, but the chance was not worth tempting. All the lords and ladies... the ENTIRE nobility witnessed his inadequacy to fend off a mere ninja. They believed him to be a liar, a beggar! That was worse than the curse! Hitomaro was unable to prove his claim, but he recovered a fraction of his wits, "What need do I have to protect a worthless junk pile? And I tell you this: If you wish to obtain the Armor of Inferno, my soldiers will kill you instantly!"  
  
Hariel's smug expression did not change, but he realized extra caution was necessary. A heavy patrol of guards would protect the Inferno constantly. Lying was against Hitomaro's code of honor. His impetuous introduction revoked an easy robbery. 


	3. Chapter2

Ashura did not understand what the armor wanted from him. He was certain the thing that he received was a mystical armor because of the dreams that came to him after he obtained the armor and increased when he neared Japan. Through the dreams, he learned how to wear the armor and how to use it, but he never learned for what purpose it was intended. Then, he started to feel a need to travel somewhere. After the Japanese cargo was packed for the return trip to China, Ashura told his boss about the armor, the dreams, and the sensation to travel deeper into Japan.  
  
Mizu sighed and concluded, "That armor's certainly not cursed and since you have it, you're important somehow." Mizu grumbled to himself; he hated losing workers. However, he told Ashura, "Go and do whatever it is that you have to do in Japan."  
  
Ashura obeyed and left during the same day. He traveled uneasily, not knowing where he was going. Although he enjoyed journeying over Japan, his first duty was to Mizu aboard the cargo ship. Had he been more educated about the Ronin Warrior Legend, he would consider fighting evil to be his foremost duty and leave without worries. Unfortunately, even Chinese nobility were not well versed in the legend and any thought of the Ronin Warriors never entered their minds.  
  
When he arrived at the temple of the Ancient One, Ashura learned that he was now a Ronin Warrior. His armor was Hardrock with the element of earth and virtue of Justice. He also learned what little the Ancient One knew of the approaching threat. He also met the bearers of the seasonal armors. Kuroda Jiguro had the Autumn armor. Koma Toshiten had the Spring armor. Sasaki Idoju had the Winter armor and Yamanouchi Nazaka had the Summer armor. Everyone, with the exception of Jiguro, arrived at the Ancient's temple in the same manner as Ashura - already with their armor and experiencing the same dreams and sensations to travel. Ashura instantly befriended Idoju because the bearer of the Winter armor also came from a noble family. The Ronin Warriors frequently practiced using their armors while the Ancient One meditated in his temple and searched for bearers for the other armors.  
  
About a week after Ashura's arrival, Nazaka announced to the group, "There's another person coming. Everyone take off your armors!" The Summer armor, with the virtue of Piety, gave Nazaka a somewhat empathic ability.  
  
Everyone obeyed and stared in the direction that Nazaka looked at expectantly. A man with severely disheveled brown hair appeared wearing several layers of ragged clothes. Only his eyes hinted that he had Japanese blood. The strange newcomer eyed the group curiously.  
  
"You ain't monks, are ya?" the newcomer asked in annoyance. When everyone replied in the negative, he asked, "Well, does a monk live here? I was visit'n a priest in the Dateki area and he told me a monk near here has a job for me."  
  
The Ancient One stepped out of his temple and asked the newcomer, "Are you Dateki Shiro?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"The Dateki priest told me that your skills would be valuable. Come in. I remember meeting you when I visited the Dateki temple many years ago. Are you familiar with the legend of the Ronin Warriors?"  
  
Walking towards the Ancient One's temple, Shiro glanced warily at the others and answered when he entered, "Yeah, I know the legend. I don't believe it. I ain't much of a religious man and that thing is tied into too many religions."  
  
The group quickly ran towards the door to hear what was happening. Unfortunately, the two occupants were silent. Quietly, the group peered in through the door. The Ancient One opened the small chamber that once contained all nine Ronin armors. The group barely saw a small armor orb float into Shiro's cupped hands.  
  
Shiro removed his gaze from the armor orb and glared at the Ancient One. "Why me?"  
  
"Because you are the most worthy."  
  
"No. People - they expect me to do manual labor so that's all I do!"  
  
"You are clever, methodical and thoughtful. You are perfect for the armor."  
  
Shiro backed away, terrified of the Ancient One and the thing in his hands. Then he slumped down against the wall and stared at the armor orb.  
  
The Ancient One remained for a few moments. Sadly, he did not know how to console the poor newcomer. He did not want to risk lives by making people wear the Ronin armors, but he had no choice in the matter. Shiro had to obey his fate. The Ancient One, obeying his fate, left to find more people to wear the remaining armors.  
  
The group then felt ashamed for eavesdropping and they pitied the newcomer. Hoping to comfort him somehow, they entered the temple and approached them.  
  
Shiro looked up and showed them the green armor orb. "This says 'wisdom.' Now, do I look wise to y'all?"  
  
Nazaka replied, "Appearances can be deceiving."  
  
Shiro sighed and grumbled to himself, "Right when I think people stop believ'in that."  
  
  
  
Out of ideas of how to break through Mitoma Hitomaro's guards, Hariel decided to visit the Sanada ninja clan. The clan welcomed him with the usual tolerance. Only his children greeted him warmly. He spent the day with his eldest sons and at night, he went into Tazuri's room. Tazuri was the mother of several of his eldest children with the exception of his third son and second daughter.  
  
"I heard you tell your sons about the Ronin Warrior legend," said Tazuri to Hariel. "For what reason?" She was skeptical and doubtful that he had any good intentions for telling the children about the legend.  
  
"It's a popular story nowadays."  
  
The Sanada woman resisted the urge to beat him. Of course Hariel the scoundrel, Hariel the rouge ninja, Hariel the wicked would be concerned with popularity! The Ronin Warriors were not meant to be wanted or spoken of for solely popularity!  
  
Instead of hurting him, Tazuri told him, "There are rumors that the Ronin Warrior prophecy is coming true. Some people claim they saw the Ronin Warriors in full armor." She hoped Hariel would meet the Ronin Warriors, however the reason why eluded even her. What she understood of the reason was that maybe the Ronin Warriors would teach him how to be a gentleman or would at least do something to him.  
  
Hariel laughed, "Thanks, Tazuri!" Everyone had a general idea of where the Ancient's clan used to reside. Strange things were certainly happening in Japan. All of the vicious magical creatures were twice as active and spirits that refused to pass away into the next life were haunting old rivals and causing mischief. Kind people were suddenly violent without cause. Even the weather was bizarre! Perhaps the strange incidents and the arrival of the Ronin Warriors were interlinked somehow. Either way, Hariel had a different reason for visiting the Ronin Warriors than what Tazuri had in mind.  
  
  
  
Morhiko always believed in the legend. "When the world is shrouded in darkness, the Ronin Warriors will come to save everyone." However, he never believed that he would be a Ronin Warrior until the storm came. Their fishing boat, his and his brother's, was somehow adrift in the ocean when they felt the first drops of rain. The storm came quickly, but Morhiko thought he could swim to the boat and bring it back before the worst arrived. When he climbed into the boat to sail it home, he was in the middle of the storm and the boat capsized. A dolphin arrived, took him away from the storm, and guided him home after the storm ended. He trusted the dolphin and so the dolphin opened his mouth and gave him the armor of Torrent. Morhiko and his older brother, Idashin, were orphans and only got enough food to survive. Although he wanted to be a Ronin Warrior, he did not want to leave his brother. Nonetheless, he used his armor. Wearing the armor of Torrent, he traveled deep into the ocean and retrieved the boat. It was their only major possession. The practically worthless house was falling apart. When Idashin learned that Morhiko was a Ronin Warrior, he threatened to throw him out onto the streets if he (Morhiko) continued to refuse his duty.  
  
That resulted in him traveling through half of Japan, guided by Torrent. The armor gave him sensations of what direction he should go in, but never told him where he was going. He stopped at taverns, asking people if there were temples nearby. A temple would be his most likely destination. He found a few, but were not what the armor wanted, and moved on. He got closer everyday, but to where?  
  
"Hey, tell a joke about those Ronin Warriors!" a person yelled out across the room of one tavern.  
  
Having developed a habit of thinking people talk personally to and about him when Ronin Warrior was mentioned, Morhiko instantly looked at the person. However, the person did not notice him.  
  
"No! Now get drunk!" the real receiver of the RW comment replied. The new speaker was obviously not of full Japanese descent however; the only real outlandish feature was his hair - plopped on his head like a brown bush with leaves threatening to cover his eyes. His companion at the table was of full Japanese descent, but had ghostly white hair. "I swear," he said to his companion, "Ever'thing offends you, dun't it?"  
  
"Not everything," the companion spoke calmly. Morhiko considered the situation. A person with white hair obviously had either magical powers or superior skills. Morhiko then saw a strangely disgruntled-looking white tiger lying under the table.  
  
He asked the two, "Um, do you anything about the Ronin Warriors?"  
  
"Yeah, but I can't tell ya," said the person of mixed descent.  
  
"Um, I didn't want to listen to a joke. Is there a temple nearby?"  
  
The two people and the tiger stared at him as though both interested and cautious. Morhiko, afraid, wondered if he said something offensive.  
  
"Yes," the white-haired person said finally at length. "There's a temple nearby. I work at the temple."  
  
"What do you know about the Ronin Warriors?" asked the mixed-descent.  
  
"Um, I know they're supposed to save the world. There's nine o'them. I don't know everything about the armors though."  
  
The white tiger walked over to him. Morhiko instinctively started to cringe, but the tiger was friendly. Sensing that they were worth trusting, he absently petted the tiger's head while talking to the two humans, "I'm Mouri Morhiko. What're your names?"  
  
"I'm Dateki Shiro," said the person of mixed-descent. "The tiger's White Blaze."  
  
The other person introduced himself as Kuroda Jiguro and offered to take him to the temple. Morhiko accepted and when they exited the small town into a forest pathway, he showed them his armor orb. For a brief moment, they simply stared at him. Then, Jiguro pulled out his own armor orb.  
  
"You're one of us."  
  
  
  
Along the way to their home, Shiro of Halo informed him that the armors were being worn for the first time and were never previously tested. The nine armors were also the Ancient's first and only attempt to create mystical armors. The Ronin stuff however apparently worked.  
  
They introduced Morhiko to the creator of the armors who they called the Ancient One as a sign of either respect or endearment. The Ancient One summed up the purpose of the Ronin Warriors, which is "protect the world from evil and follow the path of your armor." The prophecy mentioning shrouds of darkness was also moot in this instance since an evil other than the Warriors' true enemy was coming.  
  
Then, Morhiko met all of the other Ronin Warriors.  
  
Karei Ashura of Hardrock, the Ronin Warrior of Justice. Shiro's advice: "He snores awfully loud and is worse than Jiguro."  
  
Koma Toshiten of Spring, the Ronin Warrior of Loyalty. Shiro's exaggerated advice: "He's part plant. Step on a beautyful flower and he'll try ta kill ya."  
  
Sasaki Idoju of Winter, the Ronin Warrior of Obedience. Shiro's true advice: "Really high ninja, but he's also a brother ronin."  
  
Yamanouchi Nazaka of Summer, the Ronin Warrior of Piety. Shiro's really true advice: "Nice and all, but he's too quiet."  
  
Dateki Shiro of Halo was raised by a monk in the Dateki area from where he got his surname. Although he was normally talkative, he rarely discussed his past.  
  
The Ronin Warrior of Life had yet to arrive. If the Ancient One knew about the coming threat sooner, they would have received their armors a long time ago.  
  
  
  
There were only three huts and one temple. The Ronin Warriors were crammed into the three huts, with the exception of Jiguro who had his own house. The bearers of Torrent, Strata, and Hardrock were supposed to share one. Shiro's advice about the Chinese sailor proved to be true early on the first night. "Ashura, Ashura, wake up," Morhiko increased his volume and urgent tone. Getting only more oblivious snores, he started to poke the Chinese man awake. "Ashura, wake up!"  
  
The sailor sprang up, ready for battle. "What? Is the Dynasty here? Are we being attacked?" His eyes narrowed as he listened for sounds.  
  
"No!" Morhiko gestured for him to calm down. "I just woke you up to tell ya to sleep on your side. You snore too much."  
  
"Oh, just a trivial thing, then?" Ashura believed the armors were useless against a threat other than the Dynasty.  
  
"Yes," he sighed. Were all Chinese people this serious?  
  
They went back to their own respective beds and Ashura's snoring eventually caused Morhiko to evict himself.  
  
  
  
The next day, he met Keiko, Jiguro's sweet-tempered wife. She had a small garden, which provided most of her and her husband's food. Like Jiguro and Keiko, some of the people in the town were survivors of the Ancient's clan who became farmers and workers. They donated the very few otherwise inaccessible supplies to the Ancient One and the Ronin Warriors. The majority of people in the nearby towns and villages remained ignorant of them.  
  
For lunch, Shiro, Nazaka, Ashura and he went to the tavern on the third day after his arrival. Tavern people usually were either skeptical or lacked respect so they were forced to pay. Shiro yelled at Ashura to buy something less expensive.  
  
"That money has limits, ya know..." the bearer of Halo trailed off in conclusion.  
  
"How do you get all this money?" Morhiko inquired. According to the others, they bought food from the tavern for weeks and any savings would be gone by then.  
  
"Reglar ronin jobs," Shiro said. "I gotta keep busy."  
  
They chatted quietly about their armors, different training techniques, and how long until the real prophecy happened. After they received their meals, their waitress (according to Shiro, a whore who wasn't busy with other things which was true) shouted out to her colleagues at the bar, "She got out again! Someone place her back in the room!"  
  
They heard murmurs of "not my brat," "I'm tired," and "so annoying."  
  
Then, they saw a little girl around age six, standing on a stool to look over the bar. Her short matted hair hung down as though confused and her eyes were a mixture of bewilderment, fear and curiosity. The girl's mother obviously quit caring and ignored her.  
  
Shiro scowled, but continued eating; the food muffled his foul words.  
  
Nazaka grumbled, "No one deserves to be raised in a place like this."  
  
"Well, then," also with a grim tone, Ashura started to stand, "We need to free her from this place, correct?"  
  
Morhiko and Shiro gaped at him, surprised.  
  
"What?" Ashura inquired with a smirk. "Not justice to bring life into this world and then neglect that life."  
  
"Yeah, but... hey!" the other three left Shiro struggling to get up at the table. Morhiko chatted with the girl while Ashura and Nazaka talked to her mother.  
  
"Hey, I'm Mouri Morhiko. What's your name?" he asked the child. He heard justice recurring in Ashura's sentences.  
  
"I don't have a name," she replied meekly.  
  
Morhiko swallowed a foul word of his own. He knew children of whores were often neglected like her, but he rarely thought about the concept of abuse. Children deserved better.  
  
"Do you like this place? Do they treat you nice?" he asked her.  
  
She shrugged, "It's kinda scary."  
  
Making himself noticed, Shiro said, "Well, sister, you're going to live with us now. Will ya like that? My name's Dateki Shiro and they're-" he pointed to two approaching people, "Karei Ashura and Yamanouchi Nazaka."  
  
When Morhiko was informed that her mother was all-too willing to get rid of her, he muttered, "I would never abandon a child."  
  
"Yeah," Shiro said, "But now, Ancient'll give us a lecture about picking up strays."  
  
The Ancient One was surprised, but never lectured. She was named "Yuki". Although Jiguro and Keiko agreed to raise Yuki, Shiro and she were officially declared siblings. Two days after Yuki's adoption, the bearer of Strata arrived. Hitomaro was unfortunately isolated from fluffy, beds, servants and the wonderful Japanese classic, The Tale of Genji. Mitoma Hitomaro was also traumatized by Ashura's snoring. Shiro was traumatized by Hitomaro's complaining. After the bearers of Halo and Strata got into a nasty brawl, Shiro sighed and said, "Even old magical monks make mistakes."  
  
  
  
Kaosu sensed that the evil's "awakening", "arrival" or "attack" was nearing. However, one armor still needed a bearer.  
  
  
  
Sasaki Idoju of the Winter armor, the Ronin Warrior of Obedience, wished his nose would stop itching. Shiro and Toshiten challenged him to a drinking contest at the tavern. Idoju naturally accepted. However, his nose itched, causing his top lip to curl up in frustration and spilling the sake all over himself. He lost instantly. Shiro won, but the side effect left him grinning while groaning with a headache.  
  
"When you've-" the bearer of Halo wheezed, "been a - reglar ronin for as long as - I haf - you're an expert at just about nearly ev'r'thing."  
  
Idoju of Winter nodded. There were few things that Shiro could not do. Lately, Idoju helped Shiro learn martial arts and Shiro helped him perfect his swordsmanship. Perhaps by being a true Ronin Warrior and defeating this vague threat, he would again honor the Sasaki name.  
  
"Well, I never expected to see Takashi's little pet ninja in a tavern," a confident voice leered behind him.  
  
Battle instincts awakened at the sound of an old enemy, Idoju spun around. "Hariel!"  
  
"Oh, yeah. Your lord is dead, isn't he?" The rouge ninja leaned his chair back towards the wall.  
  
Idoju scowled; his muscles clenched. "Why aren't you with lord Nezumi?"  
  
"That job was boring. Unlike you, I only have one person to honor."  
  
"You have no honor for anyone."  
  
"Neither do you," Hariel smirked. "That's why you're just a common lowly ronin. A mere beggar with broken swords."  
  
His scowl deepened as he reached into his pocket. His right hand caressed the armor orb. He had the ability to avenge his lord!  
  
Hariel continued to taunt him. "You lacked the skill to protect your lord and thus dishonored your entire family. You can never be as skilled as I am. All you can do is be a polite, obedient dog which is why you're essentially a worthless, pet ninja."  
  
Pulling his hand out of his pocket, Idoju charged. Toshiten grabbed his arms from the back to restrain him while Shiro blocked the passage to Hariel with his hand over Idoju's.  
  
How interesting. Hariel noted that the person of mixed-descent unsuccessfully attempted to cover what Idoju was holding - a brown orb with an obedience kanji in it. Only the Ronin Warrior Legend described such things. If Idoju was a Ronin Warrior, then the other armors must be nearby. Without a word, he left the tavern and ran towards an area near the village that he did not explore. More than likely, that unexplored place was the home of the Ronin Warriors and he had to hurry if he was to evade Idoju and the two others.  
  
Camouflaged among the leaves, Hariel examined the position of his victims and searched for an evasive route to the (he learned this by listening) armor of Wildfire. He already poured a sleeping potion in their drinking water and needed a way to steal without his enemies knowing who the culprit was. The old man left for some reason. Hitomaro, Ashura, Nazaka, and Jiguro were the only people who would prevent him from attaining his goal. They stopped practicing to cook lunch, fish.  
  
"After this evil is killed, what will all of you do with your armors?" the lord asked, setting down a pail of the intoxicated water. The others began to drink; replying after their turn was over.  
  
"My town is plagued by snake demons," said Nazaka. "One poisoned my father. I'll use my armor to heal everyone and protect my town."  
  
Ashura replied, "With my armor, the world will be safe forever although I personally wish to resume my life as a sailor."  
  
"I suppose I'll just give my armor back to the Ancient One," said Jiguro.  
  
Hitomaro was silent; thinking over something that Hariel cared less about. The stupid white tiger was already asleep. Patience is a virtue. Not perfect virtue, but a virtue nonetheless. They already drank the water with the sleeping potion. After a few moments and a few more drinks, Nazaka raised his hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn. Jiguro and Ashura tried to hold her heads up.  
  
"You are the son of nobility. Why did you become a merchant?" Hitomaro asked the bearer of Hardrock. The lord blinked nearly incessantly, trying to stay awake.  
  
"I travel alot. Being a merchant is harmless occupation yet more exciting than staying at home." Ashura yawned. "A nap would be good." Without even attempting to journey to his hut, he laid down on the ground.  
  
"I suppose that fulfills your life so congratulations." Jiguro and Ashura were already asleep. The remaining two did not feel like talking. Without activity to support them, Hitomaro and Nazaka quickly fell asleep.  
  
Hariel waited a moment to let unconsciousness take complete effect. Then, containing his excitement, he jumped down from his tree and ran towards the Ancient's abode. Suddenly, when he was mere centimeters away from the door, he heard a sound like a muffled earthquake. One earthquake, two earthquakes. The sound was getting louder! Approaching! Hariel sprang into a battle stance with his twin daggers drawn. Then, he suppressed his laughter. The sound was harmless. The stupid bearer of Hardrock was snoring. Smiling, Hariel walked inside to retrieve his prize.  
  
The entrance room contained a table and a bed. Another door was adjacent one of the walls. He opened the door to an extensive closet with a red armor. There was Wildfire in its blazing glory. Hariel caressed the armor. This was Wildfire, the most powerful of all the armors. Wildfire was now his armor. Then, gently after some investigation, he separated the helmet from the body of the armor and put the helmet on his own head. He put on the arms manually, but the rest of the armor followed, fitting itself onto him magically.  
  
"YOU ARE NOT WORTHY!!"  
  
A voice! Supernatural! In his head! Trembling, Hariel cowered with his hands over his head until the fear faded away. The voice (or was it a sensation?) left as though it never existed. He breathed deeply to regain his composure. It was meaningless anyway. The armor belonged to him. Now, he could destroy Hitomaro's defenses. Hariel of Wildfire always got what he wanted. 


	4. Chapter3

Kaosu surveyed sourly a number of unknowing candidates. Perfect Virtue ceased to exist. They displayed a wide variety of all the other virtues, but not perfect, complete virtue. Wildfire needed a bearer soon or else the new threat would win. Unexpectedly, he sensed something wrong with the armor and turned towards its location. The sounds of nature muted as he concentrated on learning more about what was happening. Being their creator, he had a special bond with the armors and what he sensed made him seethe with anger. A person who was less than favorable now controlled wildfire.  
  
Instantly, he ran towards his home where the armors were kept. Hopefully, he could catch the thief before the person got too far away.  
  
  
  
Idoju was in a foul mood. He should have protected his lord better. He disgraced everyone his family and he came close to dishonoring the Ronin Warriors. He nearly armored up and slaughtered Hariel thoughtlessly. Shiro was correct, saying that "Ronin Warriors dun't fight in taverns with their armor. We're sapposed to protect everyone, not make a ruckus." Ronin Warriors do not get into common bar fights.  
  
The overwhelming sensation of his armor's virtue threw him out of his reverie. Something was wrong. He was not in danger; were his comrades in danger? He ran towards the town and saw Shiro and Toshiten. The kanji for wisdom and loyalty were on their foreheads. They were not in danger, but they were obviously alarmed. Their home! Without a word, the three ran to the Ancient's temple and the huts surrounding it.  
  
When they neared the foliage directly facing the huts, Idoju slowed them down. He approached the plants carefully and carefully separated the branches of the trees and bushes to reveal several layers of the powder used in fireworks. If they ran into that, their feet would be burned. He helped Shiro and Toshiten jump across without setting the trap. Then, they entered the clearing.  
  
The remaining five Ronin Warriors, looking lost and confused, simply stood in the clearing. The area was silent. Where was the danger?  
  
"Hey! What happened?" Shiro shouted.  
  
Hitomaro raised his hands to cover his ears, getting a headache. "I know nothing. I just woke up."  
  
Ashura added, "All of us just woke up."  
  
"So what was the kanji display for?"  
  
Just then, the Ancient One zoomed into his temple.  
  
"I didn't know he was nearby," Shiro muttered, following him and the others.  
  
The Ancient One stood in front of an open closet. He breathed deeply as though to restrain himself. Then, he turned to the Ronin Warriors. Somberly, he said, "The Armor of Wildfire has been stolen. You were here when this occurred. Do you know who is responsible?"  
  
Although full of shock and disbelief, Jiguro sounded strangely calm, "We were asleep when it happened. Shiro, Toshiten, and Idoju were at the tavern."  
  
"A sleeping potion," Hitomaro said with confidence in his words. "We fell asleep at the same time. We were drugged."  
  
"So, whoever did this knew we were here," Shiro added.  
  
Kaosu noticed White Blaze enter with his tail between his legs. No one who knew their location would steal Wildfire. "I did not sense any Youja here. Only Keiko and Yuki know about this place. Maybe Yuki told someone. We must ask her."  
  
  
  
"I was always with you," Yuki said sadly when they told her about the theft of Wildfire. She knew something bad was happening and worse things would happen. She did not want worse things to happen, but bad things always happen to the people who she cared about. "When I wasn't with you, I was with Keiko. So I couldn't've told anyone."  
  
She was telling the truth... so who? Who knew they were Ronin Warriors and who knew their location?  
  
"Hariel," Idoju announced finally. His rival was the only likely suspect.  
  
"Hariel? No surname?" Kaosu inquired.  
  
"Some people call him Sanada Hariel. He's a ninja, but he's not a Sanada. He just had some affairs with the women of the Sanada ninja clan. No one knows his real surname."  
  
Shiro added, "Yeah, we saw him earlier today."  
  
Hitomaro said, "If he knew of our location, he would certainly attempt what has already happened."  
  
Toshiten suggested, "This would be great experience for us. The thief shouldn't be too far away and we'd just split up and search for him."  
  
"Yeah!" The bearer of Halo was enthusiastic. "Dun't worry about anythun, Ancient. You jus relax and find someone to really wear Wildfire. We, the Ronin Warriors, will find Hariel and take back the armor. Eight armors against one. Stealing back, er, getting back the armor'll be too easy!"  
  
Kaosu thought about the idea. Aside from Shiro's strange choice of words like 'stealing back the armor,' the idea was perfect. "Very well. I will divide you into four groups. Shiro and Nazaka, you will travel together. Ashura and Toshiten. Hitomaro and Jiguro. Idoju and Morhiko."  
  
  
  
Jiguro assured Keiko that he would return soon safely and they left shortly afterwards. Their situation required tremendous haste. After the Ronin Warriors left, Kaosu said to White Blaze, "We need to watch over them. Just in case something unexpected happens."  
  
  
  
White Blaze trotted ahead of Kaosu. Although the Ancient One trusted the Ronin warriors, he was paranoid that something terrible would happen and with the arrival of the Inferno, something disastrous certainly would happen. All of the Ronins were in hearing and running distance yet were also unaware of their protectors. Shiro was chattering constantly to silent Nazaka about this and that.  
  
Nazaka finally replied, "Your children are gonna be cursed with muteness."  
  
"Nah, they'll jus talk ecessenty 'bout whatever inter'sts them. And I'm inter'sted in ever'thin." Shiro eventually shut up because Nazaka was the opposite of interesting.  
  
White Blaze briefly glimpsed Ashura and Toshiten. Toshiten swung his kusari-gama carefully while Ashura moved a safe distance away.  
  
Hitomaro and Jiguro were sharing a most interesting conversation.  
  
"Being a monk is not a terrible profession, is it?" asked Hitomaro nervously. "Well, being a monk must be a good profession because monks are good people, but," the wearer of Strata sighed, "I have horrible trouble with my finances and if my debt increases, I must become a monk in order to save my life. I know I can trust you because you are similar to a monk."  
  
"You would rather trust me than Morhiko of Torrent, the Ronin Warrior of Trust?" Jiguro was amused.  
  
Hitomaro sighed, "Yes. I know commoners are good people. They certainly deserve to live, but. Shiro tried to kill me when he learned I was a lord!"  
  
Jiguro stifled a laugh and remembered one of Shiro's stories about lord Mitoma Hitomaro. "Did you really sell your own wife?"  
  
"No! Just one of my father's wives. My late father's first wife wanted to kill my mother because I was crowned instead of her son! I had to get rid of my father's first wife or else my mother would either be killed or become a nun and my mother truly deserves a luxurious lifestyle."  
  
"You will be a cockroach in your next life," Jiguro muttered.  
  
"Well, that's all fine because cockroaches have no memory of their past lives and they are born used to the fetid lifestyle. I was born to be a lord so I must remain living in a luxurious lifestyle until I die."  
  
Meanwhile Idoju and Morhiko were busy chatting about the joys and hardships of peasant life.  
  
White Blaze smiled contentedly in the way that only a tiger could smile. Despite the current predicament, he enjoyed the little adventure, surrounded by the first wearers of the Ronin armor. Some of the warriors were already battle-hardened but there was a renewal of innocence in them because for once they were working completely on the side of good. The sweet breeze, the gentle sun, and the cool air reminded him of an old, elegant Chinese poem. He knew they would find Hariel today. Then, White Blaze heard the approach of his 'twin.'  
  
Scowling, he turned to face Black Blaze's smug expression. The other tiger kept pace. At their last encounter, dark tiger arrived with a youja, Saberstryke. White Blaze listened intently in Kaosu's direction. Saberstryke was there, talking to the monk. The youja did not seem threatening.  
  
"We meet again, Rekka who is now known as White Blaze the Guardian of Virtue," Black Blaze spoke up.  
  
"Tell me how you know my human name!" White Blaze demanded an answer. The other tiger was familiar somehow, but who was he? That familiarity infuriated White Blaze.  
  
"You know my human name too. You simply have no idea who I am."  
  
White Blaze frowned thoughtfully. They first met when they were in their human forms. A vague image was coming to mind, but he could not quite grasp it.  
  
The other tiger continued, "I was a member of the Tauragi tribe in Africa. I once said to you and your comrades, 'you will never destroy the Inferno. You will lose and the Inferno will destroy your greatest warriors.'"  
  
White Blaze glared at him, remembering finally, "You're that little brat! You're Tier Monnik!"  
  
The other tiger winced, "I am a prophet, not a brat."  
  
When his name was still Rekka, he met a little boy from Tauragi tribe named Tier Monnik who worshipped the two Inferno armors zealously and claimed to prophesize things about the armors.  
  
"You also have visions, correct?" Black Blaze who was once known as Tier Monnik asked abruptly.  
  
White Blaze scowled and was quiet. His stubborn silence merely confirmed the other's words. He always disliked Tier Monnik.  
  
"But unlike mine you only dream of who you must guard. Events are unimportant. The time of his coming is kept a secret."  
  
"Yes," the Guardian of Virtue admitted stiffly, "I do dream about the rightful wearer of Wildfire. I see him perfectly in my dreams."  
  
"What is his appearance?"  
  
"His eyes are blue like a baby tiger's yet he is Japanese and comes from a famous ninja clan. His hair is long and wild-"  
  
"Does the description fit any ninjas that you currently know of?"  
  
White Blaze gaped, "Sanada Hariel?"  
  
Black Blaze grinned smugly and again abruptly changed the topic, "Do you want to know what images of the future come into my mind? I see the destruction of the Ronin warriors. They will worship what you hate most. 'Summon the Inferno,' cry out the Ronin Warriors! They will beg for its power until it destroys them and then the Ronin warriors will cease to exist. Soon, the Inferno will call out for them."  
  
  
  
Saberstryke said to Kaosu, "I went to your temple to ask you if you learned about the White Armor of Inferno. This powerful armor might as well be a hoax; I have learned only rumors of its whereabouts."  
  
The Ancient One tensed instinctively at the presence of a youja, but he reminded himself that Saberstryke and he had the same goals - getting rid of Talpa to protect the world. Saberstryke feared that the netherworld would be destroyed if Talpa completed all of his plans for the mortal world. "Unfortunately, I was preoccupied and unable to learn anything about the Inferno armor."  
  
"I also noticed at your temple that all of the Ronin armors are missing. I assume you found people to be the Ronin Warriors."  
  
"I found eight people to wear the armors." Kaosu then admitted painfully, "The ninth armor, Wildfire, was stolen. I truthfully do not know what danger is approaching, but it is closer and more threatening than before Hariel stole Wildfire. Perhaps Hariel is the real and only threat. That is unlikely considering the nature of the armor. The Ronin armors enhance the wearers' perception of the armor's virtue. Wildfire should be very painful to Hariel since he fails to understand the concept of Perfect Virtue and the armor will attempt to enhance and nourish something inside of him that does not exist. It is like watering a plant without realizing you only have dirt; there is no plant to water so you only erode the land."  
  
Suddenly the sound of the their tigers' growling and snarling interrupted their conversation. They ran towards the fight and immediately pulled their tigers out of the brawl. Saberstryke and Kaosu sighed ruefully as their tigers sat down calmly, docile again. Without saying anything, they mutually agreed that the tigers' constant, mysterious quarreling would bring extra, unnecessary stress.  
  
"Perhaps we should lecture them later?" Kaosu sighed, still keeping a firm grip on White Blaze.  
  
"Indeed," Saberstryke also had a grip on his own tiger, "We cannot understand them but they can certainly understand us."  
  
  
  
"Stop!" Toshiten whispered to Ashura. "I hear something moving in the trees."  
  
Ashura paused in his step and listened intently. There was the clanging sound of metal against wood, but it was too far up to come from a commoner chopping trees with an axe. Quickly, they moved in the direction of the sound. Then, they saw the rouge ninja. Wildfire's thick spiky helmet and sword sheaths on the back hindered Hariel's movement.  
  
"Perhaps we could also climb up and restrain him," Ashura suggested in a whisper.  
  
Unfortunately, Hariel heard him, glanced at them, and started hurrying through the trees.  
  
Ashura sighed, pulling out his iron bo and aiming it at the ground. "Iron Rock Crusher!" The trees jumped up and fell down like a flimsy stack of cards. Hariel in the Wildfire armor was easily seen clinging to the trees and trying to climb out of the mess.  
  
Toshiten frowned at the loss of a forest, but it was already gone and Hariel still needed to be restrained so he used his own special attack, "Quake with fear." Chains erupted from underneath the trees and firmly pinned Hariel. Hariel's arms and legs were fastened together by the tight chains.  
  
Ashura and Toshiten smiled proudly. The Ronin warrior of Wisdom was correct. Catching Hariel and retrieving the armor was too easy.  
  
"Should we wait for the Ancient One or take the thief to him?" Ashura wondered aloud.  
  
"Let's go ahead and take Hariel to the Ancient One."  
  
They began journeying up the pile of fallen trees.  
  
A strange whipping sound pierced through the still air. The two Ronins looked up and saw a wooden bo staff flying rapidly towards Hariel. They had no time to prepare themselves. The wooden bo bounced off the chains which snapped easily and flew towards Ashura and Toshiten. The ground exploded. The entire world spun incessantly as the two Ronin warriors were tossed into the trees behind them, which snapped at the moment of impact. Then they crashed into and snapped the trees behind those. They were unconscious long before they landed. 


	5. Chapter4

Nazaka froze as the pure sensation of his armor's virtue flowed through his body. The sensation was sharp like a beacon of light. Worry and fear came into his mind. Whether instinctively or consciously, his armor was telling him that the other Ronin warriors were in danger. Nazaka glanced at Shiro. The brown-haired Ronin was filled with awe as the kanji for Wisdom glowed on his forehead.  
  
Then, determination gripped them and they ran to where the armors were telling them to go. Nazaka held his two closest swords tightly. The flow of his virtue pulsed in rhythm to his beating heart and quickened, forcing his heart to beat harder and forcing him to run faster. He thought he would pass out, but the armor supplied the extra strength that he needed. What creature could be of so much that danger that would cause the armors to scream for haste? Wildfire was the ultimate and most powerful of the nine Ronin armors, but Hariel was not that strong or fit to wield it!  
  
Then they saw the destruction. An entire forest was uprooted! Half of the forest trees were cleanly pulled out of the ground, but the other half was snapped and sliced. The Ancient One, standing amidst the second half of the destroyed forest focused his power into his glowing staff. As Nazaka and Shiro neared him, they saw Ashura and Toshiten sprawled across the rubble. Although the Ronins of Justice and Loyalty were being healed, several cuts and dents in their armors were still visible.  
  
Nazaka saw White Blaze sitting next to the Ancient One and behind the tiger was another with dark gray fur and stripes of the deepest black. Nazaka noticed a hideous youja near the Ancient One. The Ronin warrior of Piety instantly unsheathed two of his swords. The youja looked at him with blank, empty eyes.  
  
"Nazaka, put your swords away," Jiguro called out. The remaining four Ronins were arriving to the scene of the battle. "He is an ally."  
  
The youja spoke up, "My name is Lord Saberstryke and I am, indeed, an ally although I am also a youja."  
  
"Sorry," humiliated, Nazaka sheathed his swords. "Talpa is a youja and you fit the description of a youja and I. I'm sorry."  
  
Morhiko wondered aloud, "You thought that he was Talpa and that 'Talpa' and the Ancient One would stand calmly together?"  
  
Hitomaro laughed nervously.  
  
Idoju scowled. This was not the appropriate time for jokes. Ashura and Toshiten were almost killed!  
  
The Ancient One was sweaty after using most of his strength and skill with the staff to heal the two injured Ronins. Solemnly, he faced his group. "Whatever attacked Ashura of Hardrock and Toshiten of the Spring is certainly the threat that I sensed. I know nothing about it except that it is more powerful than Talpa."  
  
"Look at their eyes," Shiro pointed to the two tigers, "I think they know sum'thin. They look like they recognize this dest'uction and they're remembering who did it."  
  
Hitomaro gazed into the tigers' eyes and shuddered at the strange supernatural intelligence that the tigers possessed. Everyone stared at each other in concern. The only ones with all the answers to their questions were mute to human tongues.  
  
  
  
The dream haunted him, the dream cursed him, and the dream tortured him. "YOU ARE NOT WORTHY!!!" the dream said. In the dream, Hariel felt the pain and suffering of those two Ronins as though he was personally wounded. When he looked at his reflection in the river and saw the kanji for Perfect Virtue burning like a red demon on his forehead, he realized the dream was real. The dream was Wildfire.  
  
His entire head shook in agony. "YOU ARE NOT WORTHY. YOU ARE NOT WORTHY," Wildfire intoned in his head.  
  
"You're not really speaking to me, are you?" Hariel asked aloud. "You're just sending me feelings. You want me to think that I'm insignificant."  
  
"YOU ARE NOT WORTHY. YOU ARE NOT WORTHY."  
  
"Damn you!" Hariel shouted, staring at the kanji in his reflection. "I don't want that!" Trembling, he searched through the river until he found a sharp stone. Then, he tried to cut off the kanji that Wildfire put on his skin. Blood poured over the kanji, but the wound healed immediately and the kanji still shone brightly.  
  
Wildfire continued to chant in his head, "YOU ARE NOT WORTHY," and Hariel still acutely felt the pain of the two Ronin warriors.  
  
"Damn you," Hariel repeated, "You freed me and hurt those two Ronins so that you can torture me with their pain! You would never kill them though. They are important to you. How would you feel if I forced you to kill, hm?" The ninja smirked. "Then, you will be under my control."  
  
  
  
The sun was ready to set when Ashura and Toshiten awoke, feeling weak and light. Toshiten recounted that their unseen enemy used a wooden bo which was unfortunately never found. The group pondered over their situation at the battle site.  
  
"So, what'll Hariel do now?" Morhiko wondered.  
  
"He'll do whatever he planned to accomplish in the first place," Idoju replied glumly.  
  
Hitomaro commented ruefully, "He is far away from us now and we must travel in groups larger than two. Finding him will be more difficult."  
  
Shiro suggested they eat and rest since it was almost night and finding the rouge ninja would be impossible instead of simply difficult in total darkness. They agreed, got some fish from a nearby river, and fumbled with the ironic cooking fire. Everyone tried not to comment about Shiro's cooking. The tigers were given the spines and head bones which they thankfully never fought over. Then, Saberstryke and his tiger, Black Blaze, left to continue their own search.  
  
"I guess he doesn't like big groups," Shiro commented to himself after the youja left. He said to the others, "Ya know, you're the first people who never said a thing about my cookin'." Then he realized Idoju, Hitomaro and Ashura were reminiscing about royal festivals and feasts. The Ronin warrior of Wisdom sighed. They did not like his cooking anyway.  
  
Suddenly the Ancient One jumped onto his feet. He held his staff tightly. "Hariel is using the armor. He was farther away than I expected and he is almost completely behind us now so I didn't notice him until he was close by." He searched for the thief intently with his mind as the Ronin warriors stood up. Abruptly, he shouted, "Hariel's heading towards the village! Jiguro, Ashura, Morhiko, Shiro, take the path straight to the village. Nazaka, Idoju, Hitomaro, Toshiten, we will go directly after Hariel."  
  
Without needing any more orders, they ran off.  
  
  
  
All of Japan seemed to be ablaze. Their armors protected them from the ravenous fire but the heat remained intense. Toshiten understood and approved of the Ancient One's decision to make Jiguro take the short cut away from the fire. The Ronin warrior of Serenity would be enraged with fear and worry if he saw the threat to his family.  
  
  
  
Hariel spun around. The Ronin warriors were coming. In their haste, they did not attempt to soften their footsteps. The power of Wildfire was exalting unlike anything he previously experienced. He felt as though he could continue his rampage forever, but he knew he needed to conserve his strength. He did not know exactly how strong he was in the armor and he did not want to find out in a life or death situation.  
  
Wildfire was finally calm yet Hariel could not retreat. The Ronin warriors would catch him if he did, but the Ronin warriors would also catch him if he continued towards the village.  
  
"Don't worry about them," a voice that was thoughts instead of words called out to him. "Go ahead to where you want to go and do what you wish to do. You are the most important person in the world. You will be protected."  
  
"Who are you?" Hariel inquired of the new presence although he was unworried about the strange appearance. What it was did not matter though. He knew instinctively that it was telling the truth and that their goals were the same. Smiling confidently, he ran towards the village.  
  
  
  
The door slammed closed and the house was dead again, devoid of any sounds. Jiguro listened intently, but only heard his own breath. He saw the fire just outside the village. He had to act soon. Were his wife and adopted daughter kidnapped? Was Hariel waiting in the darkness for the chance to strike?  
  
"Keiko!" he shouted and held his breath. There was a faint rustling sound in the hallway and his wife soon appeared.  
  
"What happened?" Keiko asked groggily, tired.  
  
Jiguro exhaled, but before he could speak, Yuki's voice rang out, "Shiro!" and the little child ran into the arms of the Ronin warrior of Wisdom.  
  
"Hey there, little sister," Shiro said softly and held her tight. Then he said bluntly to the others, "We need to leave. Now."  
  
Jiguro nodded and informed Keiko, "Hariel is setting the entire village on fire. Where is the Jewel?"  
  
His wife left instantly and returned with a pink glowing Jewel. "Where are the others?" she asked.  
  
"Ashura and Morhiko are evacuating the village. The others are going directly after Hariel."  
  
  
  
People streamed out of the village. The rouge ninja smiled at so many easy targets. He snuck closer and jumped on a nearby roof for an easier view. The people were still unaware of his close by presence. Perfect. He unsheathed his swords again and set them in formation for his surekill. Suddenly his edge of the roof shook slightly as something unseen hit it. The roof crumbled away before Hariel could jump onto safer ground. He crashed into the dirt.  
  
He was dizzy but not for long. Wildfire softened the blow so there were no pains to disorient him. He jumped up quickly and saw Hitomaro of Strata poised and ready with his bow and arrow.  
  
Hitomaro released his arrow at the rouge ninja. Hariel dodged and started to flee. Scowling, Hitomaro set up another arrow. A wooden bo slammed into his arms forcefully, causing him to drop his weapon as pain echoed throughout his shattered limbs.  
  
Kaosu saw the bo bounce off towards another roof and he vaguely saw someone concealed in the darkness grab it and run up the roof. Determined to learn more about the threat, Kaosu followed the stranger. 


	6. Chapter5

"Hitomaro, are you alright?" Nazaka asked, not knowing anything better to say.  
  
"Do you think I feel fine?" the lord snapped. Tears fell impulsively from his eyes. The agonizing pain transformed into a deadened weight that held him in place. "I. I cannot move my arms," he admitted. At first he cried out of pain, but now he cried out of sorrow.  
  
Idoju informed the lord, "The Ancient One is searching for your attacker."  
  
"Good," Hitomaro grumbled sadly, "Now he can go through the trouble of killing him."  
  
  
  
The threat was unseen but clearly heard scurrying across the roof and jumping from building to building. Familiar with the layout and roofing of the village, Kaosu kept pace with the more agile and quicker person. The smell of smoke touched his nose and obscured the stranger even more. Whatever the attacker was, it didn't come from the netherworld.  
  
  
  
Ashura and Morhiko directed the traffic of frightened villagers towards where the Ancient One and the Ronin warriors once resided. Ashura smelled smoke and knew the few huts and the temple were ineffective shelters if the fire persisted yet he needed Morhiko to be with him if Hariel showed up. He was still weak from the earlier attack.  
  
Finally, he saw Jiguro and Shiro arrive with Keiko and Yuki. "Morhiko, douse the fire around the village."  
  
Shiro overheard Ashura's orders and said to him as Morhiko ran off, "You should help him."  
  
"How? Water is the only thing that can extinguish the fire."  
  
Shiro rolled his eyes in annoyance. Was he the only one with common knowledge? "Dirt also puts out fires. Now, get over there and put out that fire, Hardrock!"  
  
  
  
The battle was not going like Hariel's expectations of it. He never imagined that the ronin warriors would find him so quickly and evacuate the village and he never imagined that they would be so strong. He was protected, however. He knew he would be protected. Hitomaro was now a cripple. Yet, Wildfire was noisy again in the usual metaphysical sense.  
  
The armor was yearning for something. Hariel ignored the armor and casually walked towards the village refugees. He was still in complete control. He enjoyed feeling how calm and composed he was when in the midst of battle. People were panicking and terrified yet he was calm through everything. Smiling to himself, he turned around a few corners. Hariel never desired fights or power solely for those actions. He loved the challenge of testing his strength against an equal or slightly stronger force. He hated things too easy like an assassination or too difficult like breaking through lord Mitoma Hitomaro's numerous guards. Hariel stopped suddenly and scowled, looking scornfully at the scene in front of him. When he relaxed his mind, Wildfire took control and made Hariel walk towards Hitomaro and those other Ronins.  
  
  
  
The Ancient One chased the attacker onto the roof of deceased Sumasei's building. Sumasei was a lesser noble who moved to the village for a quieter life and his fanciful building fell into severe neglect after his death. The entire forest waited hungrily against the walls to devour Sumasei's forgotten home. A person could almost walk on top of the dense foliage.  
  
The smell of smoke was thicker but fortunately, the Ancient One successfully caught up with the attacker. Sumasei's roof and the roof of the next home were within striking distance. The attacker jumped onto the next roof, spun around, and swung his wooden bo staff at the Ancient One's feet to knock him off balance. The Ancient One jumped away from the blow, but the attacker then slammed his wooden bo into Sumasei's roof. The top of the neglected building collapsed instantly, depriving the Ancient One of safe footing as he fell into the ruins.  
  
Dust instantly clogged his nose when the ground broke his fall. The fire was already eating up the building. If he did not escape soon, he would be burned alive by Hariel's misuse of Wildfire. Fortunately, he was close to the exit. He fought down the nearly overwhelming nausea and ran towards the door. The door opened and there stood the attacker. The stranger's eyes gleamed in the darkness, reflecting the moonlight. The attacker thrust the wooden bo straight at the Ancient One's chest. The Ancient One blocked with his staff but he couldn't force the attacker away from the exit. Slowly, the attacker began forcing him near the fire and all the Ancient One could do was to summon his power to shield himself from the flame.  
  
  
  
Hariel was bored. The battle was not what he expected and he was tired of it. The Ronin Warriors seemed suddenly unimportant and he sensed that his mysterious protector mutually agreed with him. Yes, the Ronin Warriors were unimportant, insignificant. He could do better things than waste his time. With an exasperated sigh, Hariel slinked off, undetected in the darkness.  
  
  
  
The village was destroyed and the next day greeted everyone with a general feeling of ill will. No one knew why the Hariel and the stranger left suddenly when those two appeared to be winning. Jiguro regretfully informed Keiko and Yuki of what had transpired since leaving to retrieve the stolen Wildfire.  
  
Nazaka summed up their situation, "We still don't know why Hariel stole Wildfire and we don't know what he's planning to do."  
  
"What we do know," Shiro sighed, "is that we are in a buttload of trouble and this is the buttiest-"  
  
"Shiro!" Idoju snapped, getting the Ronin's attention.  
  
Jiguro whispered to the Ronin, "Watch your language."  
  
"Gah!" Shiro exclaimed. "This is pathetic! If Hariel's plannin' something, then we need to plan also! And we need a much better plan cause he's a lot stronger than us!" Then, he frowned thoughtfully in deep silence. He knew nothing about the new threat and making a plan on nothing was impossible.  
  
The Ancient One spoke up, "We need a new bearer for the Jewel of Life."  
  
"No!" Jiguro shouted vehemently, springing to his feet. "Impossible! I won't allow it!"  
  
Everyone stared in shock. Jiguro, serene and respectful, never defied the Ancient One or even questioned his orders. What was wrong with the Jewel of Life? What exactly was the Jewel of Life?  
  
The Ancient One replied calmly, "I would never suggest a new bearer unless the threat was extreme. The new threat has a violent, malicious instinct. Talpa wants to dominate, but this new threat only wants to destroy. We need to rely on all the help that is available."  
  
"I don't want her life to be in danger," Jiguro said defensively.  
  
There was a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Then you will protect her and White Blaze will protect her and I will protect her and everyone else will protect her."  
  
"We aren't strong enough to defeat the threat so how could we protect her?"  
  
"We aren't strong enough so therefore we need her assistance."  
  
Jiguro scowled. "What if the Jewel of Life fails in its purpose?"  
  
"It never has failed in the entire history of its existence."  
  
"I don't believe that."  
  
"I know."  
  
Jiguro sighed defeatedly and stared at the Ancient One imploringly, "Please, don't."  
  
"The new threat is an evil that is much stronger than Talpa."  
  
Morhiko asked meekly, "What exactly is the Jewel of Life and what's going on?"  
  
Jiguro pointed at the Ancient One, "He wants to kill Yuki!"  
  
Trying to be calm and impartial, Keiko spoke to the group, "The Jewel of Life is a talisman that can destroy any evil, however only a person with a heart of pure good and innocence can properly wield the Jewel of Life."  
  
"And Yuki is the youngest," Shiro muttered, "Usually the youngest are the most innocent."  
  
"But how could we protect her if we cannot protect ourselves?" Toshiten wondered, remembering the terrible injuries caused by the attacker.  
  
Hitomaro replied, "Obviously, her life would be more valuable than our own."  
  
Morhiko asked Keiko and the Ancient One, "Is the Jewel of Life more powerful than the Ronin armors?"  
  
The Ancient One answered, "It can be if in the right hands."  
  
Jiguro protested, "We don't know if Yuki is the right person!"  
  
Nazaka snapped at him, "We don't have much time to look, do we?"  
  
No one could think of anything else. The Ancient One gave Yuki the Jewel of Life and informed her of its purpose. Keiko cried and Jiguro was unhappy, but what else could they do? The Jewel of Life was one of the most powerful items in existence and Yuki was the only person capable of using its power. Despite the glum mood that they encountered that morning, they were stubbornly optimistic as they continued the seemingly futile search for Hariel. 


	7. Chapter6

"Come to me and fight alongside me! Fight everyone who wished injury on you. They are pathetic creatures that only want to throw you down and torture you. Fight them! Fight to survive! You want to fight. You want to survive! They beat you so much and made you feel like nothing but they are nothing! They are the worthless creatures. You are important and powerful while they claw at you and scrape your skin against their harsh cruelty. Teach them! Tell them what they truly are! Only in battle shall the truth be revealed. They hate you and they beat you because they do not understand you. Only in battle shall they understand your magnificence. We need each other! We are one in our purpose!"  
  
Shiro awoke, terrified and angry for an unknown reason. Nazaka's stern and curious face was the first thing that he saw.  
  
The Ronin Warrior of Piety had nudged him awake and said shakily, "You were having a nightmare. I think we all were."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," he replied quickly, sitting up. The night was ominously clear and silent, masking the evil that he experienced in his sleep. The chirping of crickets was strangely quiet and creepy like drumbeats in the far distance. All of the Ronin Warriors were awake and withdrawn into themselves. Their eyes reflected the horror of their own dreams. Yuki still slept peacefully unaware. White Blaze paced restlessly a short distance away. Shiro sighed. Two Ronin Warriors were missing. "Where's Jiguro an' Morhiko?"  
  
"Jiguro woke up first and whatever he dreamed really disturbed him. He stormed off near the trees and Morhiko followed."  
  
Ashura said stiffly without looking at them, "We should not allow mere dreams to scare us so easily."  
  
Shiro agreed, "Yeah, it's not good for us ta get spooked. Well," he sighed again and stood up, "I'm gonna check on our two comrades."  
  
  
  
After they wore their armors for the first time, the armors began to refine certain qualities of the Ronin Warriors. Mitoma Hitomaro already strived to get the most enjoyment of life and believed that other people were free to do the same within the bounds of their class yet after receiving Strata he began to realize that as a lord born into luxury his duty was to improve the lives of the less fortunate people. Dateki Shiro was already wise in the ways of hard common life and wise enough to understand the moods of the common people yet after receiving Halo he began thinking more clearly, his mind expanded, and he comprehended the political situations in the nobility. Karei Ashura never committed an injustice yet after receiving Hardrock he did more than simple kindness; he became a fanatic for justice. Mouri Morhiko always trusted his friends but never himself yet after receiving Torrent he trusted himself and saw only the truth. The others were refined in similar fashion and each day they awoke feeling reborn with a greater since of purpose.  
  
  
  
"There were times when I thought about defying the Ancient One," Jiguro admitted sorrowfully, "Yet I never really considered going against him. My outburst the other day was unexpected. It even surprised myself." Jiguro shuddered and buried his face in his hands, "I dreamed that I was fighting him and in my dream, I was trying to kill him. Although I disagree with his decisions, I must never let my actions go to that extreme."  
  
Morhiko sighed uneasily, "I also dreamed about fighting but we know that the Ancient One is doing everything that he can with the best of intentions."  
  
Jiguro shouted suddenly, "What good did the Jewel of Life do for his clan? I had an older brother and he was the bearer of the Jewel. He was trained to use it and he was the most skilled yet when Talpa attacked, the Jewel failed and nothing worked against him. My brother died, still holding it tight in his hand. The Ancient One arrived days later. Some of the children like myself were cursed by the nether spirits and succumbed to the evil energy that lived inside of them. If the Jewel of Life decided to work properly, the clan would still be alive."  
  
Hearing the conversation, Toshiten spoke up, "You are fortunate that you still have your sanity and that you are not evil like the others. I fought against those mindless creatures a few times and they almost killed me. They horrified me, really. I dreamed about every time I was threatened."  
  
Jiguro said, "I was lost to the madness for a while. The Ancient One spent months trying to heal me. When my condition started to improve, he gave me my armor and trained me to use it. He said the virtue of the armor would counteract the curse. Before I got married, he said the curse would be passed down to my children and that they would need special training. The curse would weaken with each generation but there is always the chance that they would be born completely wicked."  
  
They reflected silently on the new information about Jiguro. Serenity was the best trait to counteract the effects of the curse of a nether spirit, but Jiguro had natural reasons for distrusting the Ancient One.  
  
A figure suddenly materialized stealthily out of the darkness. Uncharacteristically stoic, Shiro of Halo said stiffly, "We all dreamed about different things. Toshiten of the Spring dreamed about threats, Morhiko of Torrent dreamed about fighting, Jiguro of Autumn dreamed about killing. I thought our armors caused the dreams, but I think we caused them because the dreams are of things that the armors of ignorant of and that only we know about. I dreamed about something no one will ever understand." With that said, Shiro walked off silently.  
  
  
  
Yuki was confused. Shiro was happy with her and had told her jovially that she was just as important or even more important than the Ronin Warriors. Yuki doubted her older brother's words. The Ronin Warriors were the people who were supposed to save the world from evil and as her real mom said plenty of times before, she was simply a "whiny little brat who needed to be tortured and beaten like all kids." Jiguro disliked Shiro's mood and stoically avoided the group. Jiguro really confused Yuki.  
  
Anyway, White Blaze essentially was her horse, but he was the search dog for the Ronin Warriors. For hours, they followed the trail of scents, footprints, and broken twigs. Unfortunately, the trails of all kinds ended when they reached a river so they decided to split up into groups.  
  
"There are two major places that Hariel could arrive at first if he didn't backtrack and continued in his original direction," Idoju informed them, "The Sanada ninja clan and Senbo."  
  
Shiro was startled, "Senbo? Are you sure? There's a lot of other villages near Senbo."  
  
"Senbo is the biggest village in the area and has a lot of trade and commerce. If Hariel was in the area, the people of Senbo are most likely to know about it first."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Shiro grumbled sourly.  
  
Ashura, Morhiko, Hitomaro, Shiro, and Yuki (along with White Blaze) went to Senbo while Idoju, Jiguro, Toshiten, and Nazaka went to the Sanada ninja clan - Hariel's usual place for hiding.  
  
  
  
The elusive Sanada ninja clan hid in the trees, or so Sasaki Idoju said. Despite the Ancient One's warning to not show off the armors (it would cause a major disturbance and upheaval because of the prophecy), the Ronin Warrior of Obedience also advised that they wear at least their sub- armor as they walked through the forest. "The Sanada clan do not welcome visitors so we need our armors to heighten our hearing in case they find us before we find them."  
  
"And every sound is deafening," Toshiten replied in an attempt at sarcastic humor.  
  
They were in the forest for less than five minutes when Nazaka, already paranoid at the prospect of a battle, felt a dull pain above his ankle. He glanced back idly and saw on the ground an arrow, broken on impact against his armor. Immediately, he called out to his comrades and pointed to the arrow.  
  
Jiguro asked Idoju, "Just what you're expecting?"  
  
"Indeed," the Ronin Warrior of Obedience sighed and then shouted out to the unseen person or people, "Ninjas of the Sanada clan! We are the Ronin Warriors! We must speak with Sanada Hariel. Is he present in your company?"  
  
The other four Ronins scowled. They did not think Idoju would foolishly tell the clan everything.  
  
The silence had an atmosphere of controlled fear and confusion. Then a ninja said, "If you are truly the Ronin Warriors, then no one here can slay you." The same ninja appeared on the path in front of them. "Hariel is not a Sanada and therefore I have no loyalty to him. I will guide you."  
  
  
  
Shiro stopped them before they reached the sight of the townspeople of Senbo. "Let's go ahead and take our armors off now. Back into our drab, old clothes."  
  
Ashura of Hardrock objected, "If Hariel is truly in there and if he has many friends in that town, those friends will be more inclined to share with us the information of his whereabouts if they see that we truly are the Ronin Warriors."  
  
Hitomaro agreed, "Ashura is correct. Anyone can claim to be a Ronin Warrior, but the fact must be proven in order to be considered seriously. And we will have a better chance of catching Hariel if we were already in our armors."  
  
Shiro disagreed and insisted, "If we go in with our armors, we'd shame our name as Ronin Warriors. Do you wanna shame our good name? Do you wanna make us dishoner'ble? Morhiko, am I telling the truth?"  
  
The Ronin Warrior of Trust said nervously, "Um, yes, you are telling the truth."  
  
"Good, and plus, the Ancient told us not to wear our armors in public!"  
  
  
  
"Rekka! Come!" Black Blaze called out in a quiet voice.  
  
White Blaze frowned, torn between indecision. Should he continue following the Ronin Warriors or should he speak with his 'twin'? All of his encounters with the other tiger resulted in a fight and Yuki, sitting on top of him, would be hurt if they got into another fight. White Blaze decided to follow the Ronin Warriors.  
  
"Rekka! If the sight of Ronin armors will cause upheaval then also will the sight of us!"  
  
Changing direction, White Blaze sighed, "What do you want, Tier Monnik?" There was a strange urgency in the other tiger's voice and not a hint of arrogance.  
  
"Follow me. We must discuss this while we circle Senbo."  
  
Bewildered, the Guardian of Virtue obeyed.  
  
  
  
Senbo was much like every other town with filthy people but also mixed accents. Foreigners from many different countries resided there to conduct business and to have fun in the tourism section of the town. Determined to stay out of taverns, the Ronin Warrior of Wisdom stubbornly refused to enter all of them. Confused at his sudden reversal in attitude towards his former place of recreation, the other Ronins entered and began asking about Hariel.  
  
At one of the largest taverns, a man asked them, "You're friends of Shiro's, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes," Ashura replied.  
  
The man leaned closer to the Ronin Warriors. "My name's Kokibon and I've known him since he was a little boy. Shiro was actually born in this very building. Can I speak with him?" He grinned.  
  
  
  
"Fight? Why fight?" Shiro asked himself, relapsing deeper into his old accent as he remembered the strange dream. "Fightin' dun't make any sense. I've been fightin' all my life and I still wanna fight."  
  
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts, "Shiro, you mangy coward!"  
  
Startled, Shiro's posture straightened as he turned his head and coldly acknowledged the person, "Kokibon."  
  
Kokibon haughtily accosted Shiro who replied in a brief, indifferent, almost detached manner, leading Hitomaro to wonder sadly about Shiro's mysterious past. The man's lengthy vulgar speeches hurt the ears. Shiro was being insulted and degraded in the most unthinkable ways yet the Ronin Warrior of Wisdom never allowed his anger to show. The Ronin Warrior of Life distrusted Kokibon and disliked his foul attitude.  
  
"Shiro, have you finally gotten the worst level of hell for your afterlife?"  
  
"No," he answered stoically and turned away. ~Fight everyone who wished injury on you. ~ His dream haunted him more as Kokibon asked the familiar questions.  
  
"Well, how low can you go? Or are ya already at the lowest pit?"  
  
~You are important and powerful while they claw at you and scrape your skin against their harsh cruelty. Teach them! ~ How strange that the old abhorrence still existed and the dream was full of it. Was the dream preparing him for this? "Kokibon, I changed a lot since I left here." Shiro warily examined the expressions of the other Ronin Warriors. Why did they bring Kokibon out to talk to him?  
  
Kokibon finished discussing Shiro's travels and said, "You know, a few days ago I visited your mother to see why she's so popular in town, but she's the ugliest creature ever!"  
  
"I wouldn't know," Shiro replied, isolated. ~They are pathetic creatures that only want to throw you down and torture you. Fight them! Fight to survive! ~  
  
"Were you Talpa in a past life? There're rumors that the evil emperor died, only to be reborn worse than before and your class is really fitting for his crimes."  
  
"Yes." Kokibon's logical words and the logical opposing dream confused him. Why was his dream so full of violence?  
  
Hitomaro, bored with the puerile display, reminded them of the important matter at hand. "Excuse me, Kokibon? We are searching for a man who goes by the name of Sanada Hariel. He may not go by his surname because some people say he is not a true Sanada and their saying might be correct. Have you heard of him?"  
  
Kokibon nodded. "There's a friend of Hariel waiting for you outside the town. I'll take you to him. The strange thing about him is that he never said a word but I knew what he wanted. And Shiro, he reminded me of our childhood."  
  
Shiro scowled, lost in his own thoughts, and looked at the other Ronin Warriors. They were the total opposite of him. ~ They hate you and they beat you because they do not understand you. ~  
  
"Tier Monnik, why are we circling Senbo?" White Blaze asked finally.  
  
"Because there will be a battle soon. You need to set the kid down."  
  
"How do I know you're telling the truth?"  
  
"Because I always tell the truth!" Black Blaze shouted. "When you and your comrades were sent to the Tauragi tribe, all of you fought a creature whose strength was marginally weaker than the Inferno. You remember him?"  
  
"Yes." White Blaze sat down, letting Yuki slide off gently. The little girl, not understanding tiger speech, tried to climb on again but White Blaze nudged her off and then she understood that she was to remain off the tiger. "How many of us are there?"  
  
"Honestly, I don't know but there will be one less if the prophecy goes according to plan."  
  
White Blaze frowned. What exactly did that mean? Who would die? If the Guardian of Virtue died, the rightful wearer of Wildfire might also die before being able to wear the armor.  
  
Ashura's sudden shout brought dire urgency to the situation, "He is the same villain who attacked me two days ago!"  
  
The tigers instantly ran towards the source of the yell. The Ronin Warriors defensively surrounded a person in human form. The aura of the creature was identical to the one who attacked White Blaze and his comrades over 500 years ago, but the appearance of the creature was not what he remembered. "How did he get that form?"  
  
Black Blaze replied in a hushed tone, "With power surpassed only by the Inferno, he can take any form that he desires."  
  
In an offensive position against the human warriors was a creature with the appearance of a human male. He wore close-fitting sandals on his feet. His tunic and shorts were made of a lion's skin. His hair was orange and his yellow eyes shone with frightening intensity. In his hands, he firmly gripped a large wooden bo staff. He was the Guardian of the Soul swords of Fervor. He was Yellow Flame. 


	8. Chapter7

"They hate you. Everyone hates you.  
  
No. Not everyone.  
  
They beat you. Everyone always beats you.  
  
Not everyone. I hope not everyone.  
  
You hate those who beat you.  
  
I don't know. I used to think my mommy was good and that's why she did what she did. Then I met Jiguro and Keiko and they let me have whatever I want as long as they can give it to me. I don't ask for too much because my mommy and all of my mommy's friends said that I was a spoiled, whinny brat.  
  
And are they wrong?  
  
I don't know. I want to think that my mommy was a good person but now I wonder if she is bad. I don't know very many people.  
  
You once knew a little girl named Yuiko. She was a few years younger than you are now when she died. Yuiko was murdered cruelly.  
  
Yuiko was being a spoiled brat! She always asked for food so her mommy locked her in a closet for a week to shut her up!  
  
And there was another girl named Satori. Satori was also murdered carelessly.  
  
Satori was being a whinny little brat! Satori wanted to find her real dad so she kept asking all of the men at the tavern again and again until someone sliced her head off!  
  
Then you were all alone.  
  
I'm a spoiled little brat! I deserve to be alone! My mommy said so after I kept crying after Satori died! My mommy said all I ever do is cry!  
  
And you want to silence your mother, correct? You want to starve her. You want to beat her in the exact same manner that she beat you and your friends."  
  
  
  
Yuki awoke tearfully. She was crying again and living her life in tears like how her mother said she would live. Ashamed and disgusted with herself, she covered her eyes with her long sleeves, which were soon soaked. Yet, no one scolded her. Somewhat curious, Yuki glanced around. She was completely alone, abandoned. Yet, no one scolded her. However, the Ronin Warriors would comfort her. She remembered that the two tigers walked off. Yuki sighed and sat straightly. She was being selfish again. Her own problems were insignificant. She wanted Keiko to hug her to make her feel happy and loved. She wanted Shiro to tell her a joke to make her laugh and smile. She wanted Hitomaro and Ashura to teach her how to read and create poems so that she would feel special enough to need the education of nobility. Everything that she selfishly wanted was the essence of joy. Perhaps if she did not have any emotions, she would not be selfish.  
  
Then she frowned thoughtfully. Her nap was really long and began a long time after the Ronin Warriors went into Senbo. They should have returned by now. Something was wrong. She examined what she could see of the village. The usual sounds of business and children were gone, vanished. The air was full of fear. Standing up, she surveyed the area for anything else that was out of place. The Jewel of Life tingled against her skin and radiated comfort. She cupped it in her hands curiously and pointed it in the northwestern direction of Senbo. The Jewel of Life responded and the tingling sensation increased. Yuki looked up in alarm. She suddenly sensed something dangerous in that direction and she lacked the proper words to describe the danger.  
  
Then from behind her, she heard the air move as though running away. Frightened, Yuki spun around. A tan-skinned man with orange hair glared at her with piercing yellow eyes. Impassive, the stranger swung his massive bo staff at her head.  
  
There was a cling of metal as an arrow hit the bo, messing the aim of the stranger's weapon. Yuki fled, trembling while Hitomaro, Shiro, Ashura, and Morhiko faced the stranger. The Ronin Warriors were bruised, bloody, and their armors were dented while the stranger merely had a single superficial scratch.  
  
Hitomaro fired more arrows at the stranger, but those were blocked easily. Then Shiro attacked, his sword ringing repetitiously against the wooden bo. The stranger thrust his weapon hard into Shiro's stomach and tossed him a few feet onto the ground. The Ronin Warrior of Wisdom lain still except for the up and down movement of his ragged breathing. Ashura and Morhiko attacked at once from the sides. The stranger blocked and parried with indifference. Hitomaro fired another arrow that struck the back of the attacker, just below the shoulder. The attacker jumped into the air, pulled out the arrow, and landed several yards away from the warriors. Then, the orange- haired stranger ran off, not wanting to risk defeat.  
  
If Hariel knew he would begin hearing voices after getting the Wildfire armor, he might have reconsidered. But he also might have considered himself to be more powerful than any silly voices.  
  
"You want to fight. You want to be powerful."  
  
"Fighting is only for defense of self and of the world."  
  
"You want a challenge! With more power comes more challenges and I will give you the greatest challenge ever to exist!"  
  
Hariel wanted to obey both voices yet the voices contradicted each other! Frequently, he cradled his head in his hands after waking up and he wondered what crime from a previous life caused him to suffer so much pain. He often found a bottle of sake to drown out the voices. Finally, the strange voices went away and he relaxed comfortably against the wall of the hut.  
  
"You changed, Hariel." Another voice! One he knew very well.  
  
Waving a sake bottle, the rouge ninja replied, "Hello, Tazuri. Wanna give birth to another of my children?"  
  
Arms crossed defensively, the Sanada woman rolled her eyes in exasperation and looked away. "Did the Ancient One really choose you?"  
  
Hariel shrugged. "If he did, he probly wanted to torture me. This armor is evil. It is trying to destroy me." His eyes became unfocused, confused.  
  
Tazuri returned her gaze to him. "It is the nature of good to destroy evil."  
  
"Yeah." The rouge ninja sighed ruefully. He wanted to obey the true purpose of the armor! Yet. yet. he also didn't! "I'm sorry," he whispered under his breath.  
  
"You certainly changed."  
  
Hariel averted her gaze. "My children really enjoy seeing me in this armor."  
  
"Of course."  
  
He thought everyone else had changed, but maybe Tazuri was right. Maybe he was the only person who changed.  
  
Suddenly his sixth son, one of the youngest whose mother was not Tazuri, ran into the room. "There are more Ronin Warriors coming, but they look mean!"  
  
Hariel sprang up and called on his full armor. Then, he said softly, "Well, I hafta go now. C'ya." Quietly and avoiding the curious looks of his family, he exited the hut.  
  
The people on the streets stared at him with the same astonishment that they displayed when he first entered wearing the Wildfire armor. Except now, the rouge ninja felt exposed and naked amid their constant watching. For him, there would be no more safe places to hide.  
  
Then, there was a loud hush. Silence swept over the area with the same deafening force as a million horses at full gallop. The strange hush, Hariel noted, radiated from a pale man with orange hair and a wooden bo staff. The ninja knew instinctively that the man was his protector and although it was his first time to see his mysterious protector in any way or form, he knew the man was also in his dreams.  
  
As the protector walked to his side, Hariel felt an abrupt, peculiar rush of adrenaline like what a fighter experiences during the highlight of a battle. The kanji for Perfect Virtue flared up on his forehead with the same, equal amount of force as the rush of adrenaline. It is possible that Hariel at that time had a glimpse of how his life was entangled with the workings of supernatural powers. It is also possible that Hariel realized he was merely a toy who would never understand how his actions and his path would affect the future generations. Although the Ronin Warriors were approaching from behind, Hariel was motionless. His mysterious protector at his side faced the nearing warriors. Two tigers, identical except for the colors, arrived in front of him.  
  
"My swords." Hariel whispered as his contradicting dreams replayed in his mind and the supernatural voice that he heard since he first wore Wildfire was a murmur.  
  
~Go. Leave. ~ Those words were what Hariel desired most. He wanted to abandon the entire confusing situation. He wanted to escape to a place of tranquility. However, those words entered his head with an urgency that was foreign to him.  
  
Hariel turned to his mysterious protector, the Guardian of the Soul Swords of Fervor. "You want me to leave, don't you?" Although the stranger never spoke, he knew the answer was yes. "And you also want to destroy the Sanada clan, right?" How he guessed the stranger's intention is a thing that no one will ever know.  
  
Furious, Hariel knocked the stranger into the ground and unleashed an angry array of punches. Those who truly understood the rouge ninja were unsurprised by his sudden defense of the clan. The Sanada ninja clan was his favorite refuge and perhaps the only place that he considered his home; his surname came from the Sanada ninja clan. In that moment of defense for his home, the kanji for Perfect Virtue shined brightest. However, the kanji quickly blackened as the fighter's rush of adrenaline once again filled him and battled the perfect virtue of the Wildfire armor.  
  
Hariel backed away, clutching his head in agony. His sanity was thinning. Something was calling for him. What was calling for him? His reason for stealing Wildfire was calling for him. He must fulfill what he started.  
  
The two tigers, forgotten by everyone watching the horrible event, ran between the rouge ninja and the Guardian of the Soul Swords of Fervor. White Blaze faced the rouge ninja while Black Blaze faced the other.  
  
"Yellow Flame," Black Blaze spoke to the other, "You can hear me. I know you hear me. You always hear me. Are you aware of what fate plans for you? I am quite aware and I wait eagerly."  
  
White Blaze approached Hariel tentatively. The ninja ran away, terrified of the tiger. His reason for stealing Wildfire was calling for him. He must fulfill what he started. His mind slowly torn away by the conflicting emotions of virtue and battle-lust, Hariel believed that when he finished his self-appointed mission he would live in peaceful tranquility. Yellow Flame also ran off.  
  
And the Ronin Warriors of the four seasonal armors were witnesses to an event that they could not understand. 


	9. Chapter8

"You know why you were chosen. You were chosen to die. Everyone was chosen to die. Defeating that thing which has strength beyond yours is impossible! Of course everyone was chosen to die, especially you. Your comrade was almost dead when the holy Ancient One arrived to save him heroically. Shiro remains near death. If he, an expert swordsman, was wounded so grievously, by what means can you survive? You were not born to swim in the blood and sweat of those pointless battles. You were born to live in splendor and glory. The one who chose you knows this and he hates you for your birthright. He has a reason to hate everyone. Regain your youthful days! We are one in our purpose!"  
  
Eyes bulging wide with fear, Hitomaro gasped for air, awaking abruptly. His heart beat furiously against his chest. His mind was light and clear from the terror of the dream. He touched his head gently, feeling the died blood from the wound that the Ancient One healed but was too exhausted to clean. Needing something normal to focus his sanity on to calm himself, Hitomaro examined the shadows on the ground caused by his moving arms. There was also the shadow of a man standing next to him. The Ronin Warrior of Life instantly jumped back and glanced up at the owner of the frightening shadow - Nazaka staring at him with his big, sympathetic eyes.  
  
"You were having a nightmare again," the Ronin Warrior of Piety stated bluntly.  
  
Hitomaro nodded silently, avoiding the eyes of the others, and shuddered. He never wanted to think about those dreams. "Shiro. Shiro just ran at that man as if he was processed by a demon. Usually he is thoughtful and careful. and his expression was full of anger."  
  
Propping his elbows on his knees, Morhiko suggested, "Maybe the dreams are caused by demons?"  
  
Nazaka nodded, "Maybe."  
  
Stepping into the circle of conversation, Toshiten objected thoughtfully, "But the dreams are what we want, right?"  
  
"NO!" Yuki shouted out unexpectedly. She paced up and down shakily, trembling convulsively. The bright redness on her face from her crying earlier, when Shiro was near death, never diminished. "I don't want Shiro to die! That's what the voice wants! The voice wants everyone to die! We musn't obey the voice!"  
  
Trembling, the little girl ran into Jiguro's arms. The Ronin Warrior of Serenity hugged her and gently brushed her hair back while whispering comforting words of encouragement in her ear.  
  
Attempting to form a conclusion about the strange oddity, Ashura asked her, "So this 'voice' causes the dreams, but what is the voice?"  
  
Yuki replied, "The voice is evil." Did that explain everything?  
  
Ashura shouted sarcastically, "Brilliant! Yuki, you are truly a wonderful scholar!"  
  
Infuriated at Ashura's rude tone, Jiguro scowled at the bearer of Hardrock and hugged his adopted daughter tighter. The Ronin Warriors of Serenity and Justice glared at each other, waiting for the chance to vent their anger on the other.  
  
"What happened to your search for Hariel?" Hitomaro asked quickly to distract them and to prevent them from fighting.  
  
Idoju sighed and replied, "We found him with the Sanada clan, but he escaped." His voice trailed off as he glanced in the direction that the two tigers walked away.  
  
Toshiten added, "He got in a fight with a man who we believe was the mysterious attacker. The two tigers intervened. Hariel appeared terrified and ran off."  
  
Dubious, Hitomaro glanced at the bearers of the seasonal armors curiously but their stoic expressions reflected the truth. He heard footsteps approaching and looked up. Finishing his nap to regain his strength, the Ancient One walked over the Shiro and proceeded to heal the Ronin Warrior of Wisdom further.  
  
  
  
The new threat was stronger than Talpa. Those words replayed themselves incessantly in Kaosu's mind. During his first invasion, Talpa slain all of the warrior monks, the world's best defenders who were never beaten in the thousand years of their existence! What could be stronger than Talpa? Maybe. maybe Kaosu chose the wrong people to be the Ronin Warriors. He was undecided on who should wear Halo so he asked an old friend at the Dateki shrine from which Shiro got his surname. Perhaps a person from the Date clan was more worthy, but there were also too many from the Date clan who were candidates. If one person received the armor, the others would be jealous and jealousy was increasingly fatal in the recent years.  
  
And maybe Kaosu chose the wrong child to be the bearer of the Jewel of Life. Every child, born and raised in taverns, lacked innocence. Perhaps if Yuki got out of the tavern sooner.  
  
Kaosu the Ancient One always chose incorrectly and his decisions put the world in danger. His first major decision was to help Talpa in a search for an armor that he believed was either a hoax or unattainable, but resulted in his spiritual mutilation and the resurrection of an evil Dynasty. Decades passed before his mind fully healed although the scars would remain with him forever. His second major decision, which happened after the warrior monks were killed, was to give the Jewel of Life to a worthy person. Unfortunately, he chose Hiruko who he liked in earlier years and who was a very poor choice. The Jewel of Life was a dull stone in Hiruko's hands. What about the creation of the armors? Kaosu created the armors out of a moral obligation that he felt for the warrior monks whose duty was to protect the world against the evil Dynasty - Talpa and his ancestors. And now.  
  
Now, the Ronin Warriors (who were probably not the best-suited for the job) were facing a threat that was stronger than Talpa while Talpa and the various youja under his command were attempting to break into the mortal realm thus preventing The Ancient One from returning to heal the Ronin Warriors after a major battle.  
  
Life was very stressful.  
  
  
  
Shiro groaned miserably. His body twitched painfully, stiff from almost dying and the disuse during his coma. Shame flooded his mind as he remembered his brash actions during the battle with the stranger and the betrayal of Kokibon who bullied him when he was child. He hated those memories so he rolled over to his side to distract himself from remembering. He rested, disconnected from the world. The sounds of talking people were vague whispers, separate from himself and his life. Then, a muffled tearful sob jerked him into the world.  
  
The sight of his comrades huddled together yet alone in their thoughts worried him. He noticed Yuki's forlorn expression and was ashamed of himself. He was responsible for Yuki's upbringing and he wanted her to have a better childhood than his yet already she witnessed more bloodshed and experienced more fear than he did at her age.  
  
"Hey little sister," he rasped out; his throat was sore and stiff. "I'm still here."  
  
Delighted and relieved, Yuki zoomed over and hugged him with all of her strength. The Ronin Warrior of Wisdom smiled and hugged her in return. The warmth and happiness of the scene gave the others a little more hope for their journey.  
  
After Shiro proved fit enough to walk, they found a library in town other than Senbo and began searching for a map of Japan. Hariel was moving closer to the eastern border of Japan and if the rouge ninja traveled further east, he would be in the ocean. The Ronin Warriors had to know all of the important places in the area.  
  
  
  
While the Ronin Warriors were searching for a map, the two tigers pondered over their somber predicament.  
  
"The White Inferno is really in Japan. The seal was broken," White Blaze whispered incredulously to himself. Tekaku's ultimate sacrifice and the efforts of his friends were in vain for nothing.  
  
The seal was almost nonexistent since its erection 500 years ago, but Black Blaze said nothing. He lain on the grass, watched a few passers-by who were intrigued at the sight of the two tigers, and then looked at the sky.  
  
White Blaze paced restlessly. "The Ronin Warriors will never bow down to the Inferno!" he shouted, more to assure himself of that fact than to defy the other tiger's previous prediction. Then, he noticed the other's strange silence. "Why are you not sneering at me?"  
  
"Because," Black Blaze sighed ruefully, "soon, I will experience my first real battle. I already know the outcome yet I still fear the bloodshed. Primal instinct is a curious experience."  
  
The Guardian of Virtue refused to believe in prophecies. "Can Yellow Flame be killed?"  
  
"Everything dies eventually, Rekka, including Yellow Flame and including us."  
  
"Are we capable of killing Yellow Flame?"  
  
Black Blaze sighed again, "He gets his power from the Soul Swords of Fervor that he carries. Once he gives away the swords, his strength will be depleted."  
  
"But then the Inferno will be at its full power and nothing can stop that."  
  
The other tiger tiredly stared at White Blaze and said openly, "Big sacrifices are always required to defeat the Inferno armors."  
  
  
  
"I really don't know what I'm supposed to do. I'm sorry I'm not good enough," Yuki admitted painfully to the Ancient One as they walked through the halls of the library.  
  
Sitting down to her standing level, the Ancient One told her, "The Ronin Warriors learn a lot from their armors. Maybe the Jewel of Life can teach you something if you allow it. You have to trust yourself and you have to have faith in yourself. You also have to think unselfishly. The Ronin Warriors should have a map by now. Let's go see."  
  
Yuki frowned and averted his kind gaze. She would always be a selfish spoiled brat yet she did not want to be a brat. Everyone had wants so what was the difference between selfishness and unselfishness?  
  
"Finally!" Toshiten exclaimed, running to the other Ronin Warriors with a large scroll. "A complete modern map of the eastern border!"  
  
Idoju grabbed the map out of his hands, slammed it on the library table, and hurriedly unrolled it. The Ronin Warriors quickly gathered around the map. Shiro held Yuki up so that she could see.  
  
"There's the Gensei temple," Ashura commented.  
  
"There's the last known naturally-occurring gate to the nether world," Jiguro pointed to a small field on the map.  
  
"There's a temple near that coastal city," Morhiko pointed out. "Most of the people in my village visit that place."  
  
"There's also a temple below it near my hometown," Nazaka added.  
  
"Maybe Hariel is going in the middle of all those places," Shiro suggested, "which would be in that forest."  
  
"No." Trembling, Hitomaro collapsed on the map with his hands clutching his head in disgrace. "I know where Hariel is going. My castle is also on the eastern coast. Hariel wants to break into my castle and steal the armor of Inferno."  
  
The Ancient One mused, "So it actually exists."  
  
"That armor is cursed!" Ashura exclaimed. "If Hariel gets that armor before we do, we will all die."  
  
The Ancient One nodded somberly and gripped his staff tightly. He noted the curious expressions of the other Ronin Warriors. They were ignorant of the Inferno. "We must hurry. Ashura and Hitomaro, you need to explain everything that you know about the Inferno."  
  
Ashura answered, "I only know that it is cursed and very powerful."  
  
Hitomaro added, "I also know the same, but nothing else." He trembled under the weight of his responsibility. The bearer of Strata's desire for extravagance and rare items would destroy the world. 


	10. Chapter9

"War is beautiful, wonderful, magnificent! With every battle, there are new thrills, new adventures! You love battle! Battles are the ultimate adventures! There are wars, full of thrilling battles, all over the world! You know that I speak the truth. You thrive on those battles with your friends and you wish the adventure to continue endlessly. I understand your feelings. I also wish for the same. We can help each other, you and I. Come to me! We are one in our purpose!"  
  
With a groan, Ashura awoke miserably. As usual, his first focused sight after waking up was Nazaka's glaring stare. He hated how Nazaka now looked at him as though he was evil. Suddenly ashamed of himself, the Ronin Warrior of Justice quickly avoided the other's eyes. In his dream, he fell victim to the Inferno's charm. The Inferno was the true evil. What would happen to him once he encountered the Inferno for real? What would happen to everyone?  
  
Hitomaro nudged Ashura and handed him a pack to carry. "It is your turn to carry our supplies. We should enter my home during this afternoon."  
  
"Hopefully, we will reach your place before Hariel does," commented Ashura to the Ronin Warrior of Life as he stood up.  
  
Ashura shuddered inwardly. He refused to believe the Inferno presented his major desires. However, the truth of the dreams terrified him. Wanting to escape from his inner turmoil, Ashura decided to focus on his friends rather than himself so he offered words of encouragement to the more downhearted Ronin Warriors and hoped the effects of his encouragement would in turn encourage him. He noticed Toshiten swinging his kusari-gama awkwardly, and he said to the seasonal Ronin, "Put that weapon in its place! Soon we will fight Hariel and then you can unsheathe your weapon!"  
  
Toshiten frowned thoughtfully, also recently awakened from the dream. The Ronin Warrior of Loyalty did not know whether to caress his kusari-gama or to toss the deadly weapon aside.  
  
  
  
"How's Kaosu?" Black Blaze asked the other tiger. The two were tense yet were lying on the ground. Once the battle against the Inferno began, the tigers would endure one of the most dangerous and potentially lethal struggles in history. They wanted to reserve their precious, valuable energy for that deadly occasion.  
  
White Blaze glanced worriedly at the monk and replied to the other's question, "He is also experiencing the dreams."  
  
The Ancient One focused on his meditation and on the chants of the nine virtues that were once used by the warrior monks. In the middle of the night, he awoke screaming due to the Inferno's manipulation of Badamon's curse inside of him. At times, he calmed himself with his chants, but then he would experience a sudden flash of irrational anger, and he had to start his chants again to calm himself.  
  
White Blaze sighed sadly. "I wish I knew him before he and Talpa broke the seal on that armor all those years ago. He changed a lot since then."  
  
"Seal everything is your solution, isn't it?"  
  
"No, but we never had the strength to destroy armors. Only the staff at the time had the capability, but we feared to use the staff to destroy Talpa's armor because of balance. If one or the other was destroyed, the spiritual and physical worlds might lose their balance and if they lose their balance, terrible things would happen."  
  
Black Blaze did not understand the ancient teachings of warrior monks. He also did not understand the philosophy of the Clan.  
  
Not knowing how to help his friend, White Blaze decided to change the topic of discussion and inquired of Black Blaze, "Why did you choose to become a tiger?"  
  
Toying idly with a bone from the previous night's dinner, he replied, "Well, Rekka, I wanted to be close to the Inferno so I opened a portal to the nether world, befriended lord Saberstryke, and briefly stole the Jewel of Life which enabled me to change into a tiger."  
  
White Blaze sprang to his feet, "You stole the Jewel of Life!?"  
  
Black Blaze soothed the other tiger, "Briefly, Rekka, briefly. I put it back where it belonged, a long time before anyone would notice its disappearance."  
  
White Blaze noticed the Ronin Warriors stretching and continuing their march. "Tier Monnik, let's go," the Guardian of Virtue told Black Blaze. The two tigers stretched and started walking quickly. They had to hurry if they were sure to reach the Inferno before Hariel.  
  
"There is only one known way to defeat the Inferno," White Blaze said. "That tactic is to grab the soul of the Inferno's wearer and separate the soul from the body."  
  
Black Blaze stated, "In other words, the wearer of the Inferno must be murdered without conventional weapons. Tekaku used that tactic."  
  
"Be silenced, Tier Monnik!" shouted White Blaze. The tactic that Tekaku used resulted in his own suicide. If White Blaze was more attentive to his friend's tone, there would have been nine warrior monks. If White Blaze was more attentive to his friend's tone, Tekaku would have lived to fight and defeat Talpa. If White Blaze was more attentive to his friend's tone, there would be no need for innocent people to wear the Ronin armors.  
  
  
  
Tekaku came to White Blaze, then known as Rekka, the night before the first defeat of the White Inferno. Tekaku's hands shook and his face was troubled. Rekka thought nothing strange of his friend. Everyone was troubled; the Inferno's strength was terrifying.  
  
Full of the hopeless determination that comes from accepting the end, Tekaku told Rekka, "Perfect Virtue is supposed to lead all of the other traits. Your skill progressed a lot in the recent years, Rekka. You're like a younger brother to everyone." A loose hierarchy existed among the warrior monks based on their virtues. Perfect Virtue was the leader and if not Perfect Virtue then Life was the leader. Rekka was the youngest warrior monk in the sense of mastering his trait. Warrior monks typically began their practice during their early teens, but Rekka became a warrior monk when he was deep in his twenties.  
  
Tekaku sighed, "Life and Death go hand in hand. Chaos will result if one was to dominate. The Inferno and its wearer wish for Death to dominate. We wish for Life to continue yet in order for Life to continue, we must cause Death."  
  
Rekka nodded, understanding his friend's unusual word usage. "We must kill the wearer of the Inferno."  
  
Tekaku stood up, "Relax, Rekka. Tomorrow the world will be safe. I want you to fulfill your responsibilities."  
  
  
  
"Tekaku's death will be avenged!" White Blaze vowed, growling. "Tekaku felt desperate, helpless. He believed there was no other way to defeat the Inferno, but there is another way!"  
  
Black Blaze shook his head sadly, "A great loss will always be necessary to defeat the Inferno. Always."  
  
White Blaze scowled silently.  
  
  
  
The castle of lord Mitoma Hitomaro was painful to the eyes. In his struggle to obtain the fanciest and most expensive relics from the world, Hitomaro of Strata disregarded the miniscule parameters of his castle. Paintings competed for space along every wall. Statues fought for the right to be seen first among the cluttered masses. Scrolls were crammed and stacked haphazardly on the shelves, and hoped for someone to read them (or at least wipe the dust off).  
  
"Shiro, this place scares me," Yuki said, hugging the Ronin Warrior of Wisdom and cautiously eying the life-like monstrosity of junk.  
  
Ashura of Hardrock wished everyone wore the proper apparel for being in a lord's castle. Everyone took off their armors before entering and wore the same stinky peasantry clothes that they wore for the past few days. Having lived in both a noble household and a commoner's society, Karei Ashura felt a certain sense of appropriateness in wearing noble garb in a castle and peasantry clothes in a village.  
  
Hitomaro was relieved to be home finally. "We arrived before Hariel. I will post a large amount of guards outside to watch for Hariel. They will warn me when he approaches. In the meantime, we can relax. A bath and a massage are necessary. Would anyone else enjoy the same method of relaxation?"  
  
Idoju replied, "Well, early yesterday morning, Ashura and I discussed the poems that I should recite when I return to my former lord's castle. I plan to serve lord Takashi's son and my rejoining the ranks requires not only a display of skill, but also an excellent poem. Civility and strength are equally important."  
  
In the ancient days, the nobility adored poems. Poem contests were frequent events and all of the nobility had to be able to create a poem in an instant. Shiro firmly disliked every part of a nobleman's life so he ignored the conversation about poems. Propping Yuki on his shoulder, he asked the remaining Ronin Warriors, "Who wants ta play with the tot?" No one else was interested. "Oh, well," Shiro shrugged, "C'mon, Yuki, let's try ta clean up this mess and find a playground!" The child whimpered slightly and surveyed the junk.  
  
  
  
Nazaka scowled. The Ronin Warrior of Piety sensed Shiro's emotions. The Ronin Warrior of Wisdom was terrified to face the Inferno, the cause of his disgrace. Shiro wanted to set aside his fear and his sadness by paying attention to Yuki whose youth and hope encouraged him. A special bond existed between Shiro and Yuki, but Nazaka did not know what the bond was.  
  
Sasaki Idoju interrupted his thoughts, "Hitomaro, before you leave, could you show the Inferno to me?"  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry I don't do much of anything," Yuki said ruefully, "I just don't know what to do with the Jewel of Life. The Ancient One said I'd know how to use it, but I don't. I'm feeling something from the Jewel of Life so maybe I'm more innocent. An innocent person is supposed ta be able ta use the Jewel of Life. I think the Jewel wants to help me to use it like how your armor helps you to use your armor, but I don't know. I really want to help."  
  
Shiro of Halo lain down, enjoying a moment of relaxation. "You're helping already," he said with a warm smile. "You know, you're more special than me. You have Jiguro for a father and Keiko for a mother. They're some of the nicest people I met and I never use those words lightly."  
  
Tired, Yuki decided to rest comfortably on Shiro's lap. She wished she believed his words. If so many people believed she was special, maybe she truly was special.  
  
  
  
An hour passed without any report of Hariel's appearance and the Ronin Warriors were bored. They gathered together for a brief meal and afterwards, worries eventually gave way to idle chatter. "So, what do you think the next wearers of our armors would be like?" Morhiko asked his friends.  
  
Hitomaro instantly had an answer, "The next wearer of Strata will be very intelligent, handsome, poetic and he will have plenty of talent with the ladies! He will also be rich, of course, with an elegant castle that every emperor of Japan, past, future, and present, will envy!"  
  
Toshiten whispered to Ashura, "In other words, the next person who wears Strata certainly won't be Hitomaro."  
  
Ashura's body shook slightly with giggles and then convulsed with laughter.  
  
Hitomaro frowned, feeling offended. "Well, Ashura and Toshiten, you two tell us what the future wearers of your armors will be like!"  
  
"Uh, loyal?" Toshiten said as though voicing a question. In truth, he could not imagine what the future would be or the people.  
  
Ashura also lacked imagination as was evident when he answered, "The next person who wears Hardrock will have a firm sense of justice."  
  
Morhiko told the Chinese noble, "Ashura, I don't think we should include the armor's traits because that's a given. Personally, I want the next Ronin Warrior of Trust to be very fond of the fish and of the water. I also want him to be caring and sympathetic."  
  
Nazaka asked Morhiko, "Isn't water an armor trait?"  
  
"I love water! I was raised near water! So water is a personality trait!"  
  
Smirking, Nazaka crossed his arms, "I was also raised near water and I keep the waters safe by fighting snake demons. Water is not a personality trait. Anyway, the next Ronin Warrior of Piety will be friendly, helpful, and strong. He'll be stronger than anyone else."  
  
Everyone looked at Shiro until he exclaimed, "He'll be full-blood Japanese with black hair, black eyes, the works! Everyone will love him and he'll die happy!"  
  
Idoju was next, "The next Ronin Warrior of Obedience will be honorable and noble."  
  
Jiguro's choice was, "The next Ronin Warrior of Serenity will be a devout follower of the ways of the Ancient's clan. I really can't think of anything else."  
  
  
  
If Hariel thought coherently, he would have arrived at Hitomaro's castle long before the Ronin Warriors arrived. However, because of the strain on his sanity, he stumbled through the woods in a befuddled zigzag pattern, stopping occasionally to retrace his steps and then to run from imaginary enemies. For over 56 hours, he never slept because in his sleep, his conflicting desires of power and virtue tore at his soul. When Hariel gazed at Hitomaro's castle, he smiled and cried. Deep in his soul, he knew the end was near.  
  
Hitomaro posted two guards - a veteran and a beginner - at the front towers of his castle. Hitomaro never told his guards about the nature of the threat however the outcome of the soldiers' misfortune was the result of both their characteristic flaws.  
  
"I see movement in the trees," said the beginner, feeling the excitement that every beginner feels. "I will go tell lord Mitoma."  
  
"No," said the veteran, feeling superior towards the youthful beginner, "Lord Mitoma Hitomaro will be pleased if we kill what is in the trees for him."  
  
"Okay."  
  
In unison, they aimed their arrows and let loose a dozen volleys. The movement in the trees stopped. The beginner grinned joyfully. Unfortunately, his grin ceased instantly. "What's that in the trees?" he worriedly asked the superior veteran. The veteran shook his head furiously, not believing the hideous reddish growing sight. They never learned what demon came to attack lord Mitoma Hitomaro's castle as the deadly flames of Wildfire stretched out from the forest, incinerating their bodies and collapsing the front of Hitomaro's castle.  
  
  
  
Hariel's face was a mixture of contradictions - happiness, fear, despair, anger and oppression - as he gazed at the White Inferno. He desired the Inferno with every fiber of his soul yet he also wanted the Inferno to stay away from his soul.  
  
"Yes, you are here," the White Inferno said to his soul. "With me, you will be all-powerful and you want power. We will help each other. We are one in our purpose."  
  
Hariel gently put his hands on the shoulders of the armor and examined the Inferno. "There are no swords."  
  
"The swords will come. Will me to you like how you will your current armor to you."  
  
Sanada Hariel rested his head against the armor's helmet and bared his soul to the Inferno. Then his soul and the soul of the Inferno touched, revealing every secret with the armor of Wildfire connecting them together. The Inferno instantly stripped his self-control away from him. Hariel became a pawn, a puppet, a tool for evil and bloodshed. "No, no, no! I don't want to be that!" he tried to cry aloud as he focused on Wildfire. The kanji for Virtue flared up on his forehead, fighting the Inferno's evil oppression, but quickly blackened. The Inferno gained the upper hand over the battle.  
  
  
  
The possession of Hariel instantly alerted the Ronin Warriors of a grievous action as their own kanjis lit up on their foreheads. They hurriedly armored up and zoomed out of the room towards the hallway that contained the Inferno.  
  
Nazaka felt their souls touching against the Inferno's evil. The Inferno reached out to them and tempted them with the promises of their darkest pleasures. The evil's calling strengthened, as they approached. They wanted to flee from the evil, but they had no choice in whether or not to flee since their mission was to destroy the Inferno.  
  
Jiguro suddenly fell to his knees as he screamed painfully. As Toshiten bent down to help the Ronin Warrior of Serenity to his feet, Nazaka saw a blackened kanji on Jiguro's forehead. Witnessing the direct effects of the Inferno's evil, Nazaka doubted the usefulness of his armor. The armor for Summer was created to extract poison from a person's body. How could the armor be effective against a poison that lay embedded in the very fabric of a person's soul?  
  
The blackened kanji faded away and Jiguro, dizzy, fell into Toshiten's arms. Jiguro then braced himself upright. Clutching his head, he stumbled out of the hallway. 


	11. Chapter10

"Kaosu!" Saberstryke called out, running over to the monk. "I sense you found the threat."  
  
The Ancient One smiled ironically, "The threat is the Inferno that you were looking for."  
  
The youja unsheathed his sword but held it at his side. "And if the rumors about its strength are true, why are you not helping them?"  
  
Angry at his condition, Kaosu said irritably, "Because I will burden them further. Youja and those with nether curses are the most susceptible to the Inferno's charm. Do you feel the presence of the Inferno?"  
  
Saberstryke nodded, "Yes." The Inferno made him desire battle but his training towards self-control prevented him from giving in. Then, he inquired worriedly as he pointed with his sword, "Do you see that strange person approaching the castle? He appears to be changing shape."  
  
  
  
The Inferno made Hariel walk stiffly out of Hitomaro's castle, past the ashes of the two murdered guards, and into the open grassy field. The Inferno kept no secrets; it needed no secrets. Hariel knew everything. His mysterious protector ran towards them. Hariel knew the man's name was Yellow Flame, but Yellow Flame was more than a mere mortal. Yellow Flame was an extension of the Inferno and served the Inferno. Protecting Hariel was the Inferno's plan to lead him to it and then enslave him. Either the Inferno or Hariel (at some points they were indistinguishable) tensed expectantly as Yellow Flame changed into his true form.  
  
The muscles of the arms and legs thickened as orange and black fur sprouted, covering him. The hands shortened into feet and grew fierce claws. The mouth stretched out into a sharp toothy muzzle. The eyes became cat-like and piercing. The back hunched over onto four legs as a protective suit of armor with two swords in their sheaths on top emerged.  
  
Vaguely hearing the Ronin Warriors run outside, Hariel begged silently, "Please, please, don't let me be like this," as the Inferno made him approach Yellow Flame. However, the Inferno quickly silenced him. Gripping the Soul Swords of Fervor, the White Inferno became complete. Its power surged to unimaginable proportions.  
  
  
  
The Ronin Warriors then surrounded Hariel in a circular fashion. Hariel's arms jerked convulsively, fighting the Inferno's overwhelming urge to kill the Ronins.  
  
"I don't think he wants to hurt us," Shiro of Halo said to himself, "And the Inferno is a fire element." Stating the facts no matter how obvious helped him to plan and to think clearly.  
  
Ashura of Hardrock, unfortunately, heard Shiro's words and viewed that as a hint to take an obvious action. "Morhiko, douse the scoundrel."  
  
Morhiko of Torrent aimed his trident at Hariel and focused on his armor's power, trusting Ashura's judgment. "Super Wave Smasher!" The water hit Hariel's unsuspecting form.  
  
When the water slid off harmlessly, the movements solidified. The Inferno promptly turned around, facing Morhiko with the Soul Swords of Fervor in perfect position. "!!!Rage of Inferno!!!"  
  
The Inferno attacked before the Ronin Warriors could flinch. The furious rage flamed its way towards the helpless commoner. The Ronin Warrior of Trust, like the others, froze in terror and awe of the Inferno's speed and strength. He felt the extreme heat of the Inferno's lethal surekill before it fired.  
  
Something suddenly slammed into Morhiko's side, shoving him to the ground. The water molecules in the Torrent armor boiled and bubbled although the Inferno's surekill missed its target.  
  
Morhiko glanced up to see White Blaze rise off him to his feet. The tiger roared in pain; the Inferno's attack charred his entire right shoulder to the bone. Then, the tiger began to approach the Inferno. He had to avenge the death of Tekaku!  
  
"No, Rekka!" Black Blaze shouted out, jumping in front of the other tiger. "You are much too weak to fight the Inferno let alone survive. Now that the Inferno has the Soul Swords of Fervor, Yellow Flame lost his power. We now have the ability to kill Yellow Flame! Quick, follow me."  
  
White Blaze snarled, glancing from the Inferno to Black Blaze indecisively. He had to avenge Tekaku! However, the other tiger spoke truth. White Blaze followed.  
  
  
  
"Shit!" Shiro exclaimed after the Inferno's surekill nearly killed Morhiko. "Ashura, you idiot! We don't know enough about the Inferno to plan an effective attack!"  
  
"We don't have the time to plan!" Ashura snapped in response. "The Inferno is ready to kill us now!"  
  
Was the Inferno truly ready to attack again? Nazaka examined the Inferno's stolid stance and then he examined the blackened kanjis of the other Ronin Warriors, paralyzed by the evil. The Inferno attacked them through an indirect possession. All mortals had the potential for good and evil. In the vast majority of people, good and evil coexist equally and blend as one. The Inferno dug into the spirits of the Ronin Warriors, covered up the good and elevated the evil inside of them. Nazaka was unaffected because Piety, his armor's virtuous trait, was sympathetic and understanding. Evil had neither sympathy nor understanding so Nazaka's skill with Piety rendered him immune to the Inferno.  
  
White Blaze swung his claws at Yellow Flame's throat, but missed barely. Yellow Flame then dealt a successful blow to White Blaze's head. Blood dripped down.  
  
With a growl, Black Blaze pounced on Yellow Flame. A flurry of blows, snarls, and growls followed. Black Blaze aimed for the eyes repeatedly and finally succeeded in slicing Yellow Flame's right eye. Then, the two tigers began to circle each other. Blood matted their faces from where their hits were successful.  
  
White Blaze charged towards Yellow Flame. Yellow Flame spun around ferociously, digging his claws into White Blaze's burnt shoulder. Then, Black Blaze sliced open Yellow Flame's other eye, blinding him completely. Black Blaze grinned. Now, he could kill his rival.  
  
  
  
The Inferno made Hariel turn towards Nazaka. The Ronin Warrior of Piety backed away cautiously, placing his feet silently on the grass so not to provoke Hariel and the Inferno to sudden action. Nazaka placed two of his katanas in front of himself and let go; they floated towards him as he stepped away. Inferno/Hariel examined him curiously. Nazaka placed a third and fourth katana on top of the first two. When the Inferno would decide to attack, Nazaka would need to use his surekill immediately; he could not think of another plan for survival. Inferno/Hariel started to approach him.  
  
The Ronin Warrior of Piety placed a fifth and sixth katana on top of the third and fourth. Focus on the three words, he told himself. Poison Hariel with the six snake swords. Aim for the eyes to disable him and to make him an easy target. Nazaka sweated profusely from the deadly heat emanating from the Inferno. Wait, he told himself, wait.  
  
Inferno/Hariel paused abruptly and looked in the direction of Hitomaro's castle. The Ronin Warriors stumbled back as the Inferno momentarily abandoned its control over them. They shuddered with revulsion and glanced around confusedly. Nazaka exhaled his deep tension as his friends were freed, but he still kept his swords ready for his surekill. His relief was short-lived as Shiro and Jiguro began shouting at whom the Inferno watched. With a tear-streaked face, Yuki had stepped out of Hitomaro's castle near the battle.  
  
  
  
Exhausted and bloodied, White Blaze collapsed on the grass. His right shoulder, in addition to the burns, was now dislocated and hung stiffly, dragging his body down. Yellow Flame was dead. If White Blaze was more alive than dead, he would rejoice at the death of one of his most hated enemies. Unfortunately, Hariel and the Inferno still lived in perfect condition and innocent Yuki put herself in the midst of the danger.  
  
Black Blaze sat down next to him. Cleaning Yellow Flame's blood off his paws, he said to the other tiger, "Tell me, Rekka. What is the true nature of Jewel of Life? What are the powers that it possesses? What strength does it give its user?"  
  
Struggling to stay conscious, White Blaze replied weakly, "It can only be used by a pure and innocent soul unless it is used to transform a person into a proper form for the betterment of mankind. like me. It turned me into the Guardian of Virtue and I must protect the rightful bearer of Wildfire until he is able to protect himself." White Blaze sighed, letting his words and his purpose grant him extra strength to stay conscious.  
  
Black Blaze asked him, "And what does the Jewel of Life give to a pure and innocent soul?"  
  
".The same powers that the warrior monks and the Ronin Warriors share."  
  
"I see," Black Blaze said as though he found the final clue that solved a mystery.  
  
  
  
Slow and solemn, Yuki walked quietly towards the battle. The Ancient One once told her that the Jewel of Life was the most powerful relic in existence and that only a special person with a pure and innocent heart could properly access its power. Yuki knew she was not special, but the Ronin Warriors were certainly special! They cared for her and helped her! She wanted to help them in return for their unkindness no matter what.  
  
Hariel in the Inferno faced her directly. The swords were in preparation for its surekill. Yuki wanted to insult Hariel, wanted to punish him with words, wanted to say something heroic and defiant, but being only six years old, her vocabulary was rather limited so she simply told Hariel, "You're a bad man. You're worse than the people who work at the tavern!"  
  
Jiguro ran towards Yuki to pull her out of the battle and into safety, but the Inferno fired a sharp tendril of flame at him before he could reach her. Yuki's thoughts were simple: Jiguro was a nice man and did not deserve to be hurt. The Jewel of Life reacted to her thoughts and created a shield around Jiguro. Unfortunately, the Inferno was stronger than Yuki's innocence. The fire hit the hastily-made shield and shoved Jiguro into the dirt. The Ronin Warrior of Serenity was dizzy, but he survived without any injuries.  
  
There was a fine line between innocence and selfishness that everyone tossed away as the duality of good and evil merged inside them. The Jewel's reaction to Yuki's thoughts enabled her to realize the existence of the fine line. When Shiro was dying, she thought only about her own inadequacy to help him, not about Shiro.  
  
Then, Hariel in the Inferno pounced on Yuki. Terrified and angsty, Yuki grappled with the fine line of innocence and selfishness as the Soul Swords of Fervor cut into her arms. The Jewel of Life glowed hesitantly. The blackened kanji for Virtue shone on Hariel's forehead.  
  
The Jewel whose trait was innocence affected and brought forth the trait of Wildfire and helped clear the minds of the other Ronin Warriors. Watching the kanji and the Jewel, Shiro thought of a wonderful plan. The Ronin Warrior of Wisdom shouted, "Everyone, direct your armor's trait to the Virtue of the Wildfire armor! Wildfire is inside the Inferno! If we aim our traits to Wildfire's trait, Wildfire will be able to gain control over the Inferno!"  
  
The Ronin Warriors obeyed instantly. They stretched out their arms together towards Wildfire inside of the Inferno as energy the color of their armors emanated from their hands. The kanji of their traits glowed brightly, giving them their power. Shiro, Wisdom. Ashura, Justice. Morhiko, Trust. Hitomaro, Life. Toshiten, Loyalty. Jiguro, Serenity. Idoju, Obedience. Nazaka, Piety.  
  
The eight virtuous traits connected with the Perfect Virtue of Wildfire. The kanji on Hariel's forehead reddened to the color of Wildfire. Tears streaming down his cheeks, Hariel screamed, as again his soul became a battleground between good and evil. The Inferno used his anger to gain the upper hand again. The Inferno made Hariel spin around and send tendrils of flame at the bearers of the seasonal armors. Toshiten, Jiguro, Idoju, and Nazaka fell unconscious.  
  
Then, Yuki did the unexpected. She hugged Hariel and pitied him for his tears. Seeing his tears, she realized that Hariel was a tool of the Inferno and she wanted his pain to end and she wanted him to stop causing pain for the Ronin Warriors. At that moment, their souls touched in a fashion similar to the first step that Tekaku used in his suicidal attack to kill the previous wearer of the Inferno.  
  
  
  
"Everything's so quiet here," Hariel commented in amazement. The souls of Hariel and Yuki were isolated from every outside distraction. The continuing influence of the elemental armor's traits aided their peaceful isolation.  
  
Yuki nodded, "Everything's so nice and calm here."  
  
"I certainly feel calm."  
  
"Me too."  
  
Hariel sighed, "What's going on?"  
  
Yuki looked at their confinement. She knew instinctively where they were. "I think I put us here, but I think we're stuck here. We can't go back."  
  
"Why should we want to go back?" Hariel wondered. He also knew instinctively where they were. "That- that armor - Wildfire- it changed me. I- I think I like the changes. I don't know though. If we do go back, I'll still be in that accursed Inferno armor and I'll be a slave to it. I don't want to be a slave anymore. I'm ready for the next life."  
  
"Okay," Yuki replied. She knew that as the bearer of the Jewel of Life, she had to take Hariel's soul to the afterlife for reincarnation, but once there she would never return and would also be reincarnated. Her own life was unimportant. She wanted the Ronin Warriors to live and in order to save them; she should kill the bearer of the Inferno.  
  
  
  
The Jewel of Life's pink aura engulfed Yuki and Hariel, and hid them from sight. When the aura dissipated, the Inferno armor faded away, revealing Yuki and Hariel who was still wearing the Wildfire armor. They collapsed lifelessly on the ground. Then, Wildfire elevated above Hariel, condensed into its armor orb, and rested on his chest.  
  
  
  
Shiro twitched nervously at the sight, at first too exhausted from the strain and fear of the battle to comprehend what happened. As the fear faded away from his mind, terror of a different kind set in immediately. With a heavy heart and a dry mouth, he hurried towards his adopted sister. His entire body ached painfully from the agony of his worries.  
  
When he reached her body, the world slowed down for him. He would not allow the thoughts or the suggestions of what happened to enter his head. "C'mon, Yuki. Wake up," he tried to sound teasing as he bent down and nudged her. No reaction. "Yuki?" Gently he brushed aside a few strands of hair on her face. Then, he picked her up and cradled her in his arms.  
  
  
  
Hitomaro rested his hand on Shiro's shoulder to comfort his despondent friend. Lord Mitoma Hitomaro was responsible for Yuki's death. If he never bought that accursed armor, Hariel would not be interested in it and Yuki would not sacrifice her life to save everyone from the Inferno. The guilt of Yuki's death would haunt him for the rest of his own life.  
  
Hearing footsteps, Hitomaro glanced around him. The Ronin Warriors, except for those who were unconscious, surrounded them. The Ancient One healed the unconscious seasonal Ronin Warriors. Saberstryke walked over to Hariel's body.  
  
"So that was the power of the Inferno," the youja mused, picking the Soul Swords of Fervor out of Hariel's lifeless hands, "It is a shame that the Inferno was destroyed. The Inferno would have been a powerful tool against Talpa. I suppose these swords will be just as effective." Then, Saberstryke walked over to the dead body of Yellow Flame. He ripped the sword sheaths off the dead tiger and placed them on top of Black Blaze. Then, he set the swords in the sheaths.  
  
  
  
Jiguro awoke disoriented but relaxed because finally his nightmares ceased.  
  
"Congratulations," Idoju said sourly as Jiguro stood up. "We won."  
  
The Ronin Warrior of Serenity glanced around, bewildered, not knowing from Idoju's tone whether to be happy or angry. Everyone appeared sad and isolated. The Ancient One stood a long distance away from the group, his back facing them and his shoulders drooping. Morhiko tried to comfort Shiro over something that he could not hear. Toshiten tended to White Blaze's bloody wounds.  
  
Confused, Jiguro asked the Ronin Warrior of Obedience, "Where's Yuki?"  
  
Idoju sighed, turning his head away from Jiguro's face. "We're taking her to the village for burial."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The Ancient One said the Jewel of Life enabled her to kill Hariel by separating his soul from his body and taking him into the afterlife. The only downside was that she had to go with Hariel."  
  
  
  
Weeks passed. During which the village was rebuilt. Although everyone wore the traditional robes of mourning, Jiguro and Shiro were the most inconsolable. Shiro moved into Jiguro's and Keiko's house. He rarely left his room and never exited the house. Jiguro left the house only for gardening and fishing to supply his family with dinner. He neither visited nor spoke with the Ancient One.  
  
The other Ronin Warriors were deeply concerned about them but were afraid to see their pathetic conditions and were afraid of their anger so they unanimously elected Morhiko to speak with them.  
  
Mouri Morhiko nervously knocked on the door to the hut. He did not want to visit such depressed individuals, but he worried about them and he knew that if they were left alone, their mental conditions would deteriorate. Jiguro's sweet-tempered wife opened the door. "Hello, Keiko. I was wondering if Jiguro and Shiro were home."  
  
Keiko spoke bluntly, "Come in. I can't comfort them because I understand their pain and their anger, and to a certain extent, I agree with Jiguro."  
  
"Thank you," Morhiko said quietly, entering. Jiguro worked on making a candle at the table. Morhiko sat in front of him. "Jiguro, I know you're upset with the Ancient One. We're all a little upset with him." Jiguro ignored him, not even glancing in his direction. Sighing, he held his head in his hands and tried a different approach, "Jiguro, stop being so depressed and angry. We're all angry and sad, but you're taking it to the extreme. Do you know what happens to the eternally depressed and furious? They're ripe targets for evil spirits."  
  
Jiguro glared at him sharply. "The Ancient One is no different than Talpa." He smirked and watched with satisfaction as Morhiko exited the building dejectedly. Jiguro tried for his entire life to avoid the nether curse and to stay on the side of the Ancient One, but if the Ancient One and Talpa were the same, what was the point in avoiding the curse?  
  
Keiko took Morhiko's spot and sat in front of her husband. She spoke sternly yet also sympathetically, "Yuki wanted us to live. That was why she sacrificed herself. Yuki loved us so much that she was willing to give up her life so that we could have ours. You should feel honored to have a daughter like her although she was adopted and although we only raised her for a few weeks. I certainly feel honored."  
  
Jiguro frowned somberly and cast his eyes down. After a few moments, he started to cry and his mourning began.  
  
  
  
Shiro was more difficult to help through the mourning process. Keiko believed that talking to him about Yuki would loosen and eventually break his depression.  
  
"You know how little kids need to eat a lot," Keiko began one story about Yuki, "I knew that so about every hour or two hours, I asked Yuki if she was angry and she always replied 'no.' Then, during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, she would eat half of the entire meal. She always spoke so fearfully. When she first told me that she was hungry, she then acted like I was going to beat her. Poor child."  
  
After hearing the story, Shiro stormed out of the room and slammed the door. He then avoided Keiko.  
  
  
  
Eventually, Shiro began spending more time with his friends. Unfortunately, he fell victim to random bouts of depression and anger. One day while Shiro and Toshiten were picking out fruits at the marketplace, they encountered Yuki's biological mother.  
  
Yuki's biological mother asked Shiro, "Where's the brat? Did you finally get tired of her whining all the time?"  
  
Toshiten sensed his friend's discomfort and replied to the woman, "She died."  
  
"Good riddance!" exclaimed Yuki's biological mother. "I swear all children need to die. That brat was good for nothing!"  
  
Toshiten scowled as he watched her pass by, but Shiro's expression was absolutely bloodthirsty.  
  
  
  
Immediately after that incident, Shiro remained in counsel with the Ancient One for days. No one knew what they discussed, but the Ronin Warriors hoped that Shiro's condition would soon improve. After three days, the Ancient One gathered up the Ronin Warriors with the news that Shiro had an announcement to make.  
  
  
  
"I hate this," Shiro swore as the Ronin Warriors gathered in a semi- circle around him. "I swear I hate this, but, okay, I'm a'tired of keeping my mouth shut. Toshiten, you say that you're an orphan and that you don't know who your parents are. Well, we might be brothers. Seriously." Shiro sighed and clenched his teeth. "I know my father's a foreigner because I appear foreign but I know my mom is Japanese. Yuki is the same as me because we both don't know who our fathers are and our mothers are in the, uh, in the same profession. There, anyone happy that I revealed my big, dark secret? Anyone wanna beat the crap outta me like the kids from my childhood did?"  
  
No one said a word. Their somber, unexpected silence made Shiro uncomfortable. Lapsing again into his old accent, Shiro sighed and stood up, "There's somethin' else that I hafta tell ya. I already discussed this with the Ancient One. I'm leaving in two days to go to the Date clan. The Ancient One believes they'll accept me as instructor on swordsmanship. I dunno. I guess a change of occupation is good. The Ancient One says they'll treat me with courtesy and respect. Well, I guess we'll gonna leave to go to our homes soon and we probly won't see each other for the rest of our lives."  
  
  
  
Dateki Shiro, the first Ronin Warrior of Wisdom, lived out the rest of his life training students in the Date clan. Although he never worshipped any formal religion, he developed a philosophy to guide his life that also helped certain members of the Date clan to accept him as a trainer. The Ancient One counseled him periodically after his 35th year, which helped to smooth his transition from a commoner's lifestyle to a nobleman's lifestyle. He died without any descendents and his armor passed into the Date clan and eventually to Sage Date, 500 years later.  
  
Mitoma Hitomaro, the first Ronin Warrior of Life, died a tragic death due to Talpa's influence nearly fifty years after the battle with the Inferno. Hitomaro's grandson, the heir to his land, believed he could glorify his land and his family by gaining power and superiority as one of Talpa's warlords. Enraged at his grandson's beliefs, Hitomaro killed him and then took his own life. Without an heir to lead them, the descendents of Hitomaro engaged in a succession war. A woman fled Hitomaro's castle with the Strata armor, entered, and married into the Hideyoshi clan, which became the Habashi clan. Rowen Habashi is descended from that woman, but it is unclear if the woman was a descendent of Hitomaro or came from another family and was originally a concubine of one of Hitomaro's sons.  
  
Karei Ashura, the first Ronin Warrior of Justice, died unaware of Talpa's approach. He passed down the story of his armor to his children and grandchildren. His grandchildren dispersed around Asia once news of Talpa's manipulations in Japan reached them. One grandchild, carrying the armor, married into the Rei Faun clan. It is unclear if Kento Rei Faun is descended from Ashura or if he merely received his armor from a highly respected neighbor in the clan.  
  
Mouri Morhiko, the first Ronin Warrior of Trust, also died unaware of the threat of Talpa. It is also unclear if Sai Mouri is descended from Morhiko or from Morhiko's older brother, Idashin. Sai may be descended from both, which is the general belief concerning his heritage. During the threat of Talpa, a child (either of Morhiko or Idashin) hid the armor in an underwater cave. When reports of nether soldiers in Japan spread through the village, the child committed suicide to prevent capture and torture, which would force the location of the armor to be revealed.  
  
Koma Toshiten, the first Ronin Warrior of Loyalty, died at the early age of 35. His only child passed down the armor but not the legend to Anubis Koma, Toshiten's grandson, who became power-hungry and eventually became a warlord of Talpa. As war broke out across Japan, the Ancient One struggled to find Anubis and the armor, but his efforts were useless and he had to focus his attention on the other armors.  
  
Sasaki Idoju, the first Ronin Warrior of Obedience, lived under strained relations for his new lord due to his previous dishonor, not being able to protect his new lord's father. His children and grandchildren were born with his dishonor. Idoju's grandson, Kale Sasaki, became a warlord of Talpa to gain power and prestige.  
  
Kuroda Jiguro, the first Ronin Warrior of Serenity, had three children. His children were born with his nether curse and were instinctively evil. Jiguro and Keiko struggled to raise them on the good side. Two children unfortunately died before reaching their sixth birthday. Dais Kuroda, Jiguro's grandson, was also born with the nether curse but to a lesser extent, so little training was required to keep him on the good side. Dais never received the holy education that Jiguro received under the Ancient One's tutelage. Dais was angry at the world during the period of constant warfare and felt oppressed by his lord for always forcing him to fight. Dais unfortunately became a warlord of Talpa to gain power over his lord.  
  
Yamanouchi Nazaka, the first Ronin Warrior of Piety, lived out the rest of his life under constant warfare against the snake demons, which poisoned his father and threatened his village. He had two children, a son and a daughter. His son died in battle. His daughter was raped by a snake demon and Sekhmet Yamanouchi was the result. His daughter later killed herself in despair. Nazaka struggled to raise Sekhmet among the hostile surroundings. Nazaka died in the decisive battle against the snake demons when Sekhmet was nine. Sekhmet then ran away with his grandfather's armor and was hunted by Naga, the leader of the snake demons. Sekhmet eventually fell under Naga's control. Sekhmet forgot parts of his grandfather's teachings and agreed to be a warlord of Talpa so that Naga would no longer control him.  
  
The children and grandchildren of Sanada Hariel lived in constant disgrace due to Hariel's evil actions and his possession by the Inferno. They spread lies about him to honor their family. They said that Hariel was the true first Ronin Warrior. Their lie became very popular and widespread, which caused people to doubt and to lose hope in the true legend. The perverted stories about Hariel and the Ronin Warriors are responsible to a certain extent for the descendents of the seasonal Ronin Warriors to become warlords. It is uncertain if Ryo Sanada, the first Ronin Warrior of Virtue, was descended from Hariel.  
  
Unaware of the true nature of the armor, the five Ronin Warriors 500 years later repeatedly bowed down to the power of the White Inferno until it lead to the destruction of their armors. During every major battle, they called out for Ryo to summon the Inferno. After the destruction of the elemental Ronin armors, they returned home, disgraced but the world was still in danger. 


End file.
